Danse Macabre
by Devy-Artemis
Summary: It began in Forks and ended in Seattle. We danced as predator and prey...and then somehow,we became lovers. Where will this dance take me now,I don't know,but I know that it surely isn't over. AU with lots of snark and banter,and of course,plot.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer****: **I don't own Twilight, or any of its characters. But I do own my brand of Darkward. S. Meyer owns everything that's Twilight.

**I'm continuing this one shot. FINALLY! Yeah, if you don't remember what the hell is going on, don't worry. This story did win the second place in the Darkward Vampfic Contest, and now it's a one shot no more. ;)**

**A/N:**I must thank Bailey, the comma saviour, who beta'd the first 3 chapters of this story, that is, the one shot part.

Then, my word of thanks goes to Dragonsexist, who showered her love to this twisted tale, and also kept my sentence formation uncluttered. I hope to have her supportive ass with me all through this story.

**NOTE: I'd suggest that you see my profile page for the playlist for this story. If you listen to those songs when you read, the experience will be heightened. No, you sincerely can forego the playlist, it won't affect comprehension, but since this story is based on the piece, _Danse Macabre_, it's only logical to hear it, no? :)**

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"Dance Macabre? Dance with an 's,' huh?" Angela asked, quirking an eyebrow at me.

I nodded, adjusting the bodice of my red ruffle dress while she applied her make-up.

It was the night of Halloween, and I was heading out to enjoy it with my friends at the local bar-cum-dance club, _Drunken Dancing_. Angela and I had decided to take part in the amateur Halloween dance competition that the club was hosting. I had chosen a classical composition for my turn, whereas I still didn't have any idea what song she was dancing to.

As for costumes, we had opted for cocktail dresses instead of the traditional costumes to make us more comfortable when dancing. Angela was dressing up as some kind of glam ghost, with pale white make-up and a white flowing dress, while I was dressing up as the equally glam version of Little Red Riding Hood. I was going to wear a red hoodie with it, for the added effect, but it was coming off inside the club.

"Okay, I understand the _dance_ part and the _macabre_ part, but I haven't heard of this one before." Angela looked at me in the mirror, her eyes curious. "Which artist?"

I sighed at her lack of knowledge about classical composers. I couldn't blame her; she had no interest in classical music.

"Camille Saint-Saëns, a French composer," I replied, buckling the straps of my red stilettos—fuck me shoes, as Angela very endearingly labeled them.

"Why do you play with me, Bella? You know that I know next to nothing about classical music," she chided.

"How do you know that it's classical?" I asked, in the mood to tease her a bit.

"It's obvious, your face is all cocky and patronizing," she replied sourly, turning back to face the mirror, a mascara wand in her hand.

"Aw, Angie, be a sport." I stuck my tongue out at her, and she responded with her own double bird.

"Whatever you say, I'm not turning to classical music. It depresses the hell out of me!" she grumbled under her breath.

"It's an acquired taste," I said wryly, re-adjusting the ties of my halter. "So, what's your dance number?"

Angela snorted, almost smudging her mascara. "La tortura!" she exclaimed with feigned excitement.

"Shakira, you say?" I snorted with her, imagining her and her boyfriend, Ben, dancing to their chosen song.

"I left it to Ben, my bad." She shrugged and turned around to face me, doing a little pirouette. "How do I look? Not too spooky for a ghost, huh?"

"You look amazing, Angie, you make a hot ghost," I assured her, waggling my eyebrows.

"And you look illegal for a Red Riding Hood," she commented, "Now stop fiddling and fussing over your dress."

"I'm not! It's just these damned ties, and I'm not even wearing a fucking bra!" I finally shared my discomfort with her. "And I have to dance, tango no less."

Angela shook her head and rolled her eyes at me. "It has a built-in bra, and the ties are fine. You said you could pull it off, but now I see you backtracking. Not fair, Bella."

With a resigned nod, I stopped my obsessive adjusting and began applying make-up. Angela helped me, and within half an hour, we were ready to roll.

The club wasn't packed by the time we arrived but still crowded enough to surprise me. It was the time of twilight, and people were still trickling in. I had assumed that not many would want to spend Halloween eve here, but I was proven wrong.

We made our way through the club to our favorite corner lounge, the one nearest to the bar. Ben sat waiting for us, dressed as Jack Sparrow. I tried not to laugh; he looked like a goofball.

His face lit up as he saw Angela; same for her. I couldn't help but smile at their dopey faces.

"Boy, you look stunning," he said dazedly as she sat down in his lap. They kissed, and I had to look away. It was an intimate moment, and I felt like an intruder.

"Hey Bella! What are you?" Ben looked up at me after he was done canoodling his girlfriend.

"Little Red Riding Hood. Can't you see?" I gestured at my dress, pulling up the hood on my head. "I have a hoodie too."

Ben just laughed at me, so I took off the hoodie and playfully shoved it at him. "Okay, okay, I get it." He winced away from me. "Where's the big bad wolf?"

I lost some of my humor then, as the mention of 'wolf' reminded me of Jacob, my friend and my first love. I didn't know if it really was love or just a figment of my imagination. Perhaps it was an expression of my gratitude towards him…

Jacob wasn't just any ordinary man, he was the stuff of legends: a Quileute werewolf. I was the only one outside his tribe that knew of this secret.

How and why I knew of his secret is another story altogether. I knew of a world that was beyond normal, a world that was well hidden… where legends were still alive. A world that almost took my life, but for Jacob's intervention.

I shook my head and tried to rid myself of Jacob. I didn't want to ruin my Halloween thinking about my teenage puppy love.

"I'll bring you ladies some drinks, huh?" Ben interrupted my internal musings. "What'd you like, Bella? And you, Angie?"

"A Bellini?" I shrugged. It seemed the apt choice considering the low alcohol count. I had to dance later on, which is difficult if you're top-heavy.

"Mint cocktail for me," replied Angela, and Ben was on his way to the bar in no time.

"Don't drink too much, or you'll be entertaining the crowd in a wholly different way," I warned her, although I knew she'd never listen.

"Who cares?" She pouted and waved me off. "I'll be dancing to Shakira anyway."

"So you're planning to get uber drunk so that you don't have to dance? It's not that bad," I commented, as Ben came around to hand me my poison. "After all, you'll be dancing salsa. The beat suits salsa."

"Here's the Bellini for Bella," Ben drawled as I took the champaign flute from his hands. He returned to the bar to bring Angela's drink.

Angela snorted a little as I sipped the orange liquid, looking at me with a wicked twinkle in her eye. "For your info, I don't plan to dance as much on the dance floor as I do on my bed," she whispered.

"Ugh, Angie, TMI!" I scolded her, and she laughed it off. Ben came back with her drink then, so I didn't say anything else. I didn't want to embarrass the poor guy.

"Here's your mint cocktail, babe," he said, handing her the glass. He plopped down beside Angela, his own mojito in his hand.

"So, where's your dance partner cum boyfriend?" asked Ben, eyeing me curiously. I rolled my eyes at him, and Angela almost choked on her drink. She was on the verge of bursting a laugh.

"For the n'th time, Mike isn't my boyfriend!" I scolded both of them. Their teasing was getting old, but it irritated the hell of me.

Mike Newton was my friend and my dance partner but nothing more than that. We did flirt with each other sometimes, and tango did create a lot of heat, but still, we had the boundaries drawn. Outside of that bubble, we were back to being buddies. Besides, we were both still kind of recovering from our past heartbreaks.

I'd known Mike since high school, and I also knew he had a similar situation with Jessica that I had with Jacob. Jilted first love. He was still reeling from it because their relationship had lasted for a considerable time—six years no less.

"There he is, oh my… Zorro!" Angela's voice brought me back from my high school memories, and I realized that she was talking about Mike. I spotted him quickly; he was dressed in a Zorro costume, something that I had told him not to do. But he made me eat my words, since he looked quite hot in this one, a toned down version with no rhinestones. Thank god for that!

He waved at us from beyond the dance floor and then quickly strode over to sit beside me. "Hello, Miss Hoodie," he greeted me with a smirk. "I bet that the wolf would've changed his intentions if he saw such a hot Red Riding Hood."

Ben hollered, while I turned red at Mike's compliment. The wolf certainly didn't change his mind, he fucking left me for a Quileute girl and told me some shit about werewolves and soulmates and imprinting. Of course, I didn't believe him, that's why I chose the path of least interaction with him once we were done.

Why the hell I was reminiscing about my past tonight was beyond me.

I put aside my gripes of lost love and playfully shoved Mike's shoulder. "Thanks, Newt, you don't look so bad yourself. _El Zorro_!"

"Told ya you'd like it," he replied with a wink.

Angela giggled and ordered another cocktail. I guess she really hated her chosen song. I sighed and turned to Mike, who looked to be contemplating drinking as well.

"Hey, wanna practice the moves?" I offered, "You know I was quite serious about this competition, unlike a few people here." I pointed at Angela and Ben, who rolled their eyes at me.

"Sure, Bella, I'd like to stretch my limbs a bit," Mike beamed, grabbing my hand and gliding me over to the dance floor.

_Smooth Operator_ was playing in the background. It wasn't the same as my chosen song, but we changed our rhythm to match it.

"Here you go B." Mike turned me around to face the opposite side, my back pressed into his chest, and I got a view of other dancers in the area. There weren't many.

Mike held my shoulders as I swayed and tapped my feet around him. We were dancing in sync, and I was thoroughly enjoying myself. I knew we were going to be awesome on our actual turn.

Out of general curiosity, I perused the crowd to see the various attires for the night. Some were tacky, others were quite classy. I could see that many were courting the princess/prince themed ones, since it was the easiest option for a dance.

And then my eyes inadvertently fell upon a face beyond the dancing crowd, a face so perfect that it had given me nightmares in memento. I couldn't believe my eyes, I couldn't believe that my luck could be so shitty, so I looked more closely.

He appeared quite comfortable in this crowd, dressed in black jeans and a blue shirt under his black denim jacket; no costume. He didn't need one to show that he was mythical, his game was in hiding it. Fucking vampire…

"Bella, turn around, are you forgetting the steps?" Mike whispered in my ear, but it sounded distant. The monster of my nightmares looked at me then, courting a smirk I knew all too well.

I was frozen in my place, my whole body numb with shock and fear. My death was here, looking just as menacing as he did seven years ago…

_A chance meeting in the school parking lot; _

_A helping hand from my classmate, Edward Cullen, as he walked me to my truck; _

_The hairs on my back rising with each step; _

_My ancient truck not roaring to life; _

_Him offering me a ride home; _

_My home passing in a blur as he refused to stop; _

_Me telling him to stop with tears in my eyes…_

_I knew that something horrible was going to happen to me, even though I didn't know how or why;_

_Him dragging me out of his car and into the deep forest; _

_My screams echoing around the green walls of hemlocks and ferns; _

_Him caging me in his arms and flashing across the forest at blinding speed; _

_My struggle against his cold, hard body and the bruises it caused; _

_My horror at noticing his eyes turning black, full of hunger; _

_The howling in the background; _

_The humongous wolves; _

_The disorienting feeling of watching flashes of white and brown and black as they fought; _

_And the final lull as my death decided to leave me alone for once…_

"Bella… did you have too much to drink, or are these shoes killing you? What's the matter?" I wanted to look at Mike, to tell him to run and take me with him, but I knew it'd be futile. I'd be risking his life as well.

My death smiled at me from the distance; it was enough to send chills down my spine. He hadn't stumbled upon this club by chance, he was here for me.

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**Reviews are always welcome.**


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer****: **I don't own Twilight, or any of its characters. But I do own my brand of Darkward. S. Meyer owns everything that's Twilight.

**NOTE: Song for the chapter**: **_Danse Macabre or Opus 40 by Saint-Saëns - .com/watch?v=YyknBTm_YyM_**

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_My death smiled at me from the distance; it was enough to send chills down my spine. He hadn't stumbled upon this club by chance, he was here for me._

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Mike tried to maneuver me, but my muscles felt rigid. "You look so pale. Babe, are you okay?" he asked suddenly, probably when he saw my haunted expression.

"I-I-I," I stuttered uncontrollably and then virtually slapped myself for being so obvious. "I think I need to go to the washroom," I finished finally, reining in my frantic nerves.

"Alright," he agreed, "you go, I'll go to the bar and catch something light." Taking my hand, he helped me towards the lounge where Angela and Ben were still seated.

Once at the lounge, I grabbed my clutch purse and made for the washroom as quickly as my nervy steps took me. I stumbled along the way, but it didn't matter. My life was nearing a gory end again, and I had to act fast to stand a chance at preventing it.

The only thing that kept me together was the fact that this wasn't the first time I had faced a similar predicament. I knew about vampires because I had almost been munched by one, the same one who was here tonight.

I also knew that there was only one way I could be saved, the very way that saved my ass the last time—Jacob and his wolf pack. I needed to reach him as fast as I could.

Hiding myself inside a cubicle, I pulled out my cell phone and began to text frantically. I didn't dare try calling him because I knew Edward would hear every last bit of it. Vampire ears were too good to take a risk against them.

**_Leech alert-I'm the target Drunken Dancing, Seattle. Hurry!_**

I pressed the 'send' button and prayed that it would reach Jacob in time. I knew that Seattle was about three hours from Forks, but I had to utilize whatever resources I had.

I took deep breaths to calm myself, not wanting my thumping heart to beckon Edward towards me. As it was, I was a marked target. I don't know what made me look like such an easy target that he would come after me not once, but twice. Perhaps my shitty luck, as always.

The buzzing in my lap made me jump, and I almost dropped my phone. It was a text from Jacob. My hands quavered as I opened it to read.

**_We're on our way. Just plz try to dodge him til we reach. Delete this msg. _**

I looked at my watch and speculated if I could evade _him_. Sure enough, there were many options open for him tonight. Plenty of people were out and about celebrating Halloween. Maybe if I took too much time in here, he would get bored and frustrated and move on to his next target?

So, very selfishly, I waited inside the ladies' washroom, in hope that my death would move on and spare me once again. I felt like a part of _Final Destination_, a mythical version of the movie.

After around ten minutes, my phone began buzzing again. At first, I thought it was Jacob, but the illuminated screen showed Angela's name. Of course, Jacob wouldn't be so foolish.

"Yes, Angie?" I answered in a hushed voice.

"Bella! Where in the blue hell are you? You know Mike got sick!" she blared.

"What?" _What the hell?_ Now, of all the times, why couldn't Mike choose any other day?

"Yes, we're taking him to the hospital. Come out of the washroom, I'm waiting outside." I didn't know why, but her voice sounded edgier than usual, like she was excited about something. Considering my situation, though, I couldn't care less.

I didn't know who I hated more in that moment, my fear or my friend's sudden sickness.

"I'm coming," I told her meekly, stepping out of my haven of a cubicle. Mike was a dear friend of mine, and I couldn't just let this slip.

As I emerged out of the washroom, I spotted a fire exit at the end of the corridor. I almost rushed towards it, but then Angela came over.

"Bella! What the hell have you been doing in there?" she shrieked at me, grabbing my arm and pulling me into the lounging area. "We're taking Mike to the nearest hospital. I don't know what happened, looks like an allergic attack. I think his cocktail contained vodka."

"But he knows he's allergic to it!" I never dreamt that Mike could be so stupid. My intuition told me that he wasn't. Something fishy was going on.

"Yeah, I don't know how it got in his drink, since it was a non-vodka drink," Angela mused. That bit of information confirmed my suspicions.

I swept my eyes across the club for any sign of copperish brown hair, but there was none. "Okay, let's get him to the hospital," I urged, hurrying towards our lounge.

"No," Angela stopped suddenly, "you stay here." I swear I saw her lips twitching upward slightly.

"What the fuck, Angie, Mike is sick!" I didn't know if it sounded harsh, but I wanted to get out of here, whatever it took. Just because I couldn't find _him_ didn't mean that he had left. I was told that vampires tended to get possessive about their prey.

"No, Bella, we'll take care of him. Our old classmate got us a cab. Guess who?" That's when my heart sank. Who else could it be? "Edward Cullen! Can you believe it? God, Bella, I swear he looks as hot as he did in high school," she gushed, "and you never told me that he had offered you a ride once. Know what, I think he's interested in you, and I certainly don't want you missing out on the chance."

I loved Angela immensely, but in that moment, I wanted to slap her repeatedly across her face. Of course he was interested in me; he fucking wanted to eat me!

"You know, we got to talking when you were in the washroom, and he knows how to tango! Bingo, Bella!" she babbled excitedly, like a kid high on sugar and caffeine. "I told him that you were taking part in the competition, and he offered to be your partner! Don't miss this opportunity!"

Yeah, opportunity to get chomped up nicely.

"Yes." I almost jumped as I heard his voice behind me. "I'll take care of Bella, and I'll dance with her… as I promised Mike."

So he _was_ with Mike when the drink fiasco happened. Figured perfectly. He was definitely after me.

I turned around to face him, my whole body feeling dead with dread. "I… don't think I'd want to dance without Mike; he's my partner." My voice never sounded weaker than this feeble attempt at arguing with my hunter.

Angela shook her head. "No Bella, we want you to participate, Mike especially wanted you to. Edward here knows how to dance, and he's willing, too."

I was shaking my head in denial, and that's when I felt it—his hands snaking around my waist. "Why, Bella, I'm not that awful a dancer. Try me," he whispered into my ear, "or else I'll have to find another way to reach you. You can't escape me."

Angela smiled victoriously at me. "C'mon, babe, don't be such a downer. Edward will take care of you." She pulled me into a hug, but I didn't feel it; my body was numb with fear. "I have to go now, Ben is with Mike down the road. Seeya!"

I wondered if I'd ever see her again.

She waved at the demon standing behind me and made her way out of the club. I stood there amongst the club crowd… held captive by my predator.

I distinctly remembered a wildlife footage shown on T.V., where a capybara stood motionless in the swampy vegetation of the Amazon while an anaconda circled it. The capybara didn't stand a chance, just like me.

With his hands still on my waist, he gently nudged me forward and then made me sit down on the lounge. Then he disappeared, but only for a while, returning with a glass of water.

How very considerate of my would-be killer.

"Drink," he ordered, placing the glass in my strangely still hands. I did as he said. The water felt like aloe to my dry throat; I hadn't realized how thirsty I was.

"You look worried." He laughed. "I promise I won't let you down. I'm a damn good dancer, if I may say."

Who the fuck cared about dancing anymore?

"I hope you're not thinking about bailing out, because I intend to make you dance," he carried on the one-sided conversation, with me still in the frozen capybara mode. "You're a vision when you dance."

I felt a wintry touch on my knee, and I jumped reflexively. And then the trembling began.

"Oh, don't panic, red cherry," he cooed in my ear, "I'm not gonna eat you. At least, not here in a club full of people." He was admitting his true nature to me so easily, as though it was nothing out of the ordinary.

My grip tightened on the glass in my hands, as though holding it tighter would save me.

"Ah, no no no." He snatched the glass from me and put it away. "You don't want to bleed in here, with me so close. I'd have to massacre the whole crowd then."

My head turned in his direction, and I met his dark maroon, demonic eyes. I wanted to say a million things to him… I wanted to say fuck off, I wanted to ask 'why me,' I wanted to run away… but I couldn't. Like, wouldn't the capybara have bolted if it thought there was any chance of survival?

His hand moved then, from my knee to my thigh, his fingers spreading across my flesh, as though he was taking inventory of my body. Not unlike someone who was buying fruits and vegetables.

"So warm and supple…" he briefly closed his eyes in what seemed like pleasure "…mmmh tender loins."

Apparently, he was trying to make a joke about food. I felt sick to the core.

"Speak to me. I know you're quite vocal." His eyes danced with humor, but it failed to affect me.

"What do you want me to say?" My voice was a faint whisper, but I knew he heard me.

"Anything," he said, raking his eyes over my face. "Even your voice is sweet, so anything that comes out of your mouth is fine by me. I wonder how you'd sound begging me." He moved closer, his face inches away from mine. To any onlooker, we must have looked like a couple having a tête-à-tête.

"Wha-What else is sweet? About me…" I mumbled, shifting a little away from him. I was ready to talk to him; it meant buying time.

"Your scent," he replied casually, winding his arm across my waist to keep me from moving away. "You smell like freshly baked chocolate walnut cake, topped with thick chocolate icing. No wonder you're so hard to resist."

On my thigh, his fingers began to draw languid circles while he leaned towards my neck and inhaled slowly.

I shivered and squirmed in his grasp, but his hold didn't loosen one bit. The anaconda knew that the capybara was trapped, the capybara knew that it was trapped, then why didn't the snake attack immediately? He probably relished the terror in his prey's eyes.

It was obvious he was playing with his prey. And I felt extremely offended. "Why don't you just kill me and get it over with?" I asked, anger overtaking the fear for once.

His grip tightened on my waist, and I bit my lip to remain quiet through the sting of his fingers digging into my flesh. And then unexpectedly, he pulled me onto his lap.

"Because," he whispered roughly into my ear, "you're like a vintage wine, Bella, and I want to savor you… slowly."

I wanted to lash out again, but the announcement overhead cut me off.

"_All the couples, please prepare for your turn, the Halloween dance competition will be commencing in a few minutes_."

"Ready?" he asked me from behind, and I turned my head to glare at him.

"I don't want to dance. I don't feel like dancing." It was beyond me as to why I was even explaining this to him.

"Oh, why?" He feigned hurt. "I thought we'd make fabulous dance partners."

"I don't think so," I replied, crossing my arms over my chest, "Moreover, how can you even expect me to tango when I know your intentions clearly?"

"And what are my intentions?" His eyes darkened as he spoke.

"That you plan to eat me! What else?" I hissed, _so_ wanting to punch him in the face. I knew I'd only end up causing pain to myself.

The asshole just laughed in my face, inciting even more rage inside me. I knew he'd relish my backlash, so I kept quiet and turned my face towards the dance floor, where the designated first couple were taking position.

I hoped that the couples would draw out the time in their respective turns. That way I could still hope for Jacob to reach me in time and save me once again. Seemed like a long shot, but I could at least hope.

I surreptitiously glanced at my watch to see how long it had been since I texted Jacob. Not even thirty minutes. That crushed me, but I had to think positively. I had survived for a few minutes alongside my predator, and I had to think of something to keep him distracted longer still.

"I'm going to play with you for hours, Bella, so it's better that you don't keep track of time," he stated sardonically. "Don't pat yourself on the back for the wasted time. That's only happening because I chose to extend it, not because you've accomplished distracting me."

I decided not to react, since he enjoyed seeing me pissed off. Why give him the pleasure? But it was true; his tone really had me worried. I didn't know what tortures he had in mind for me…

As the couples completed their respective dances quickly, I grew more and more restless. I didn't want to dance with a vampire, I wanted to kill him damnit! I wished I were strong enough to do so.

"Be ready…" he patted my bare shoulder "…we're next."

He seriously expected me to put on a show with him. Fucking bastard of a vampire that he was.

"Bella," I heard his silky smooth voice near my ear again, "I want to see how you dance with me. I want to feel your soft body sway in my hands." His lips fluttered against the skin of my lobe, the coldness of it tickling me.

As if reading my mind, he wrapped his cool lips around my ear lobe and sucked at the trapped sliver of skin. That was my weak spot, and I couldn't control my bodily reactions to his actions. It felt good; it aroused me instantly, even though I was scared shitless. He uttered a soft noise of pleasure as his tongue dragged across the sensitive spot. My nipples betrayed my arousal and turned all perky.

"Shit!" he muttered, detaching himself with a start. His hand squeezed my thigh once more before disappearing into his disarray of hair.

He looked a little crazed, as though his mind was racing ahead or dragging behind his body, with his eyes fixated downward to my chest. My guess was that he had felt my increased heartbeat and thus, he was thinking of munching up his snack.

"I'll dance," I spoke suddenly, in hope of distracting him. My mind was working out the ways in which I could extend my living hours. If it meant dancing with a monster, I'd gladly do it.

His eyebrows knotted together at my answer, and then one of them rose up in surprise as his face returned to its old cockiness. "Well, what brought on the merry mood, red cherry?"

I didn't answer him, instead, I decided to change the topic. "I had practiced it with Mike. I don't think it can be done properly without prior practice."

He threw his head back and chuckled loudly. "You shouldn't worry about that part," he lifted his hand to stroke the tip of my nose, trailing it down to my lips, "you just focus on your part." His voice became rougher, and I saw his eyes following his finger at my lips.

It felt odd, being under his microscopic eyes as he examined me, I suppose taking inventory of his prey again. He applied subtle pressure on my lower lip and my mouth parted open a little. I had no idea what he was doing, but I didn't know if objecting was a good game plan for my survival.

Left to my intentions, I wanted to bite his damn finger off, but I'd probably only achieve a few broken teeth. I closed my eyes and tried to get a handle on my temper, since it wasn't helping. I felt the tip of his finger push into my parted lips, and I opened my eyes to see what the hell he was trying to do.

Good lord, his eyes were pitch-black. I expected them to be glued to my jugular or something, but no, they were staring straight at my lips. And then, as his face came closer and closer to mine, I suddenly realized what was happening.

His face wasn't cocky anymore, he was dead serious. He was diving straight for my lips, for a goddamned kiss. I panicked, because what sane person would want to kiss a vampire?

"_Up next, Bella Swan and her new dance partner, Edward Cullen!_" The host of the night announced, and like a knee jerk reaction, he blinked and ceased his approach immediately. The cold hand slipped from my shoulder, and I was suddenly free to move.

He looked as confused as I felt, and in that moment of confusion, a sudden realization dawned on me. He was a vampire, yes, but alongside that, he was a man as well. That was equivalent to a chink in his armor.

I had found a substantial weakness in him, the universal weakness of men. If I could somehow work my feminine wiles and weapons on him, then maybe he'd be too caught up in them to bother about time. And then Jacob would have enough time to save me.

The idea didn't feel half bad, considering the dire situation I was stuck in. I had to use all I had to save my life, even if it meant flirting with my own death.

So, now on a mission, I stood up from the lounge and stretched my arms, pulling them sideways and above my head. That caused the asymmetrical skirt of my dress to ride up, revealing more of my legs to him. In the next move, I bent down and adjusted the buckles of my shoes, surely giving him a good view of my ass and legs.

I had never made such moves on a guy before, but desperation for life called for desperate measures.

Without turning back, I began walking towards the dance floor. Looking back at him would've meant that it was intentional, and I didn't want to give that impression.

I felt his hands sliding around my waist from behind as we walked to the centre stage. I could feel the difference in his touch; it was now lingering instead of threatening.

"Did I tell you that I love the song you've chosen?" he said as I turned around to face him.

"It's a tone poem," I corrected him.

"Of course, grumpy," he replied, smiling down at me as he took my hands and positioned us for our routine of tango-waltz.

I was sure I could hear fate laughing at me. After all, how many people get to dance with their probable death, to the rhythm of a classical piece created in honor of death itself?

The music began slowly, with the twelve strikes of a harp depicting the onset of midnight. And then the violin began, death on his fiddle, my cue for the zigzag twisting of my legs. As more violins joined in, Edward took the lead and flawlessly maneuvered me across the dance floor.

I was amazed. It had taken Mike and me several days to practice and perfect these moves, and here he was, dancing like it didn't bother him in the least. He was imitating Mike's steps perfectly, even better than Mike. How did he know?

The flute played in tandem with the main violin, just the way my legs moved alongside his. I wished my heels were made of stronger material, then crushing his foot under them would've felt extremely good.

Other instruments soon joined the violins and the flutes, and the music grew to a heated beat. He twirled me around and held my body flush against his as he dragged me along, only the tips of my toes touching the floor.

Flipping me once, he dropped on his knee with me in matching steps to mine. We rose and joined together again for a round of meandering legs.

The music settled into waltz time, and we imitated the waltz steps, using the space provided by the empty dance floor. He kept his eyes locked with mine all along. If there was any such thing as black fire, it was this.

The xylophone began playing then, portraying the dancing skeletons, the one part of this song that attracted me the most. It suited the staccato steps of tango, and I utilized the part to sway my hips and legs around his. It was my time to lead, and I was trying my best to overwhelm him. But he seemed unfazed.

Like a sudden drop, the music reduced to the hum of the lower instruments. He lifted me and turned me around, pulling my leg back over his hip while his other hand held me tight around my abdomen. My back arched as I pushed it against his chest. It was a difficult move, an intimate one at that, and it wasn't a part of my routine. He had incorporated it on his own.

I think I did have an idea as to why he decided to try it with me.

"Camille Saint-Saëns was very sharp and methodical," he said conversationally, pulling me back further against his chest, "but he was extremely rigid. No?"

Was he kidding me? He expected me to talk, bent like this?

I merely nodded, not in the mood to discuss a composer's work at this moment, mid-contortion of my body.

The music picked up again, and he let me go finally, but not for long. He pushed me away and turned me around with flick of his wrist on my arm. My chest pressed against his as he pulled me back for a repeat routine to match the march-like scale that picked up momentum by the second.

As the music reached another high and a dip, I hitched my leg up over his and dragged it up and down in tune with the main violin. It was steps like these that made tango so sensual. I wanted to use them to my advantage. His eyes darkened at my move, and I felt satisfied.

The main scale returned, but to a very slow lilt of violins and flutes. To my surprise, Edward pulled my leg further up and wrapped it around himself in an even more sensual position. I could feel the cold of his body, all through the layers of his clothing.

_Shit_, I thought as my breathing hitched. I didn't want to get turned on by my would-be murderer. This situation was so fucked up. And as if it wasn't enough, his hand reached behind me and sneakily stroked my butt.

I looked at him in alarm, and the bastard smirked at me, giving me a little butt squeeze. He was trying to do the same thing to me as I wanted to do to him.

I was sure that my panties now courted a wet spot. It was probably a good example of Stockholm Syndrome. This enraged me, yet I couldn't deny the physical reactions to his maddening touches.

All of a sudden, the song grew like a tidal wave, emulating my mental upheaval. Edward lifted me up above his head and then dropped me, catching me by my leg and hand just as I almost hit the floor. Another step that wasn't a part of my practiced dance. It felt like a rollercoaster drop.

The waltz began again, and he righted me just in time to match with the rhythm of the music. The xylophone returned, followed by other instruments, and we began a forward-backward step, crisscrossing along the floor.

It had almost been five minutes when the main violin cam back. I was starting to feeling a little strained, since dancing with this demon was taking much more energy than I had ever utilized with Mike. Most of it was taken by my brain, in trying to remain focused.

The next minute passed in a blur as the piece reached its climax. He was maneuvering me so fast and so deftly, I felt like my feet weren't even touching the floor for most of it. Pushing, pulling, twirling, lifting, rolling me from one hand to another, he did it virtually all on his own. It was very disorienting, and I felt like rag doll in his hands.

As the music reached its final crescendo, I don't know how he managed to do it, but I found myself leaning on his right arm and leg. It was such a dramatic pose, it felt like a lover's embrace. To the languid tune of the main violin, his hand traveled from my leg to my throat and back, tracing my every curve. I gasped as I felt his fingers stroke my nipple on the way.

It sent a delicious sensation down my torso, settling between my legs. God, it was never like this with Mike. I never felt so damn powerless over my own body.

"Mmmh, delectable…" Edward groaned in my ear as his hand passed my hipbone. "Can't wait to explore that." His words should've scared me more, but no, most of it was anticipation only.

I knew one thing then, that I had to somehow escape him, or else I didn't know what I'd be willing to do if he kept up his teasing. Apparently, I wasn't very good at this game, so I needed another strategy.

Running away seemed like a plausible option.

* * *

**Would you tango with Edward? :P**


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer****: **I don't own Twilight, or any of its characters. But I do own my brand of Darkward. S. Meyer owns everything that's Twilight.

**NOTE: Song for the chapter**: **_Night on the Bald Mountain (Fantasia) - _**

**_The Disney version_****_: _****.com/watch?v=Txo06c1k9sk**

**_The Original Mussorgsky version_**:** .com/watch?v=iCEDfZgDPS8**

Take your pick. (I personally prefer the original version.)

**WARNING: some violence and graphic sexual situations ahead. Not gore, though. **

* * *

He buried his face in the curve of my neck as the song ended, and my nerves lurched with fear. The clamor of claps made me jump. He moved away then, motioning for me to stand up. He waved at the crowd like some Hollywood star while I stood beside him, too wound up to make any gesture.

His hands slipped up to hold my bare shoulders as he moved me off the dance floor and back to the corner lounge of the club. Several thumbs up and waves came my way, and I returned them lackadaisically. My mind was elsewhere.

"I told you I'm a good dancer, see the response?" Edward stated with a lopsided grin.

He rubbed his cold hands up and down my shoulders, and I flinched. I guess he wanted some kind of response from me, so I nodded.

"You need to relax," he commented as we sat down. Yes, this I could do, relax when a vampire was sitting beside me, stroking my arms as if I was some prized game.

I closed my eyes and thought about the time that was wasted. I needed something positive to fill my brain, since I was pretty sure that I was still on the menu for tonight. Despite all the teasing, I didn't dream that he would let me go.

Just like earlier, Edward disappeared and then returned with a glass. This time, the glass contained a martini.

"I don't know much about these, but this one seems quite popular," he said, offering it to me.

"I don't want it." I tried to push his hand away, unsuccessfully.

"It will soothe you," he murmured next to me, pulling me closer.

"Is that a ritual for all your victims?" I asked agitatedly, "Get them numb with alcohol before you…"

"No," he replied. I could see he was fighting a smile.

"So is it about the alcohol mixing in blood and getting you high as a result?"

He laughed then, as though I had cracked the grandest vampire joke of all time. "No," he managed, after his bout of mirth was over. "Your blood alone is enough to make me high. You don't know how difficult it used to be to control myself around you."

"Why-why are you so fixated on me? Why not someone else for a prey?" I dared to ask, unable to contain myself.

"I already told you how sweet you smell to me, Bella," he replied, taking my hand and wrapping my fingers around the stem of the glass. "Besides, I had chosen you as my prey, and they took away my prey, those _dogs_. I've never been threatened away from my prey. No one dared to."

"So that's what I am for you, a challenge. You're only after me because you couldn't stomach your defeat to the wolves. You want to prove a point."

"You're very sharp."

His eyes grew darker then, and I decided to take a swig. One martini won't make a difference. I didn't want to see that look in his eyes, the one of hunger. The topic of my blood wasn't a good direction for a conversation.

As I gulped the martini, I felt him sniffing my hair. I cringed reflexively, almost choking on my drink.

"You smell even better when you're turned on…" His hand slipped under my arm and stroked the side of my breast.

"Doesn't give you the right to grope me," I muttered, once again feeling my body reacting to his slightest touch.

He chuckled and removed his hand, while I stared at him irately. "Easy, kitten, the anger won't help you."

I hated the sobriquets he kept giving me. Motherfucker. "I don't want to drink more," I said, shoving the martini back at him. He didn't take it, and I briefly considered pouring it all over his pristine black jacket, by mistake of course.

"Might as well get drunk the last time, eh?" He gave me one of his crooked diabolical grins again, and I shrunk back into the lounge. I drank the whole of my drink and then put the glass down.

"I need to go the washroom," I said, trying to even out my voice. I didn't want him to know that I was lying. Since I was afraid anyway, I chose this moment to slip this request. He wouldn't know the difference in my heartbeat, if that's what he depended on.

"And if I don't let you go?" he asked, trapping my right arm in a vice-like grip.

I felt my heart hitch and flutter. "Please, Edward, I need to. It's not like you can't catch me if you choose to. Let me…" I added a fair doze of pleading damsel tone in my voice, and I used his name to address him on purpose. Personalizing this request seemed a fair try.

"Fine." He released me, his eyes carefully scanning my face as I got up. "Don't be too long, or I'll crash right in."

I nodded meekly and slipped away. Acting fast was the key. Even though I hadn't thought out this plan clearly, I was banking on certain things. Vampires depended heavily on their olfactory senses, as Jacob had told me. I planned to run out of here and mingle with a huge procession of a crowd down the street.

There'd be enough people to mix and dilute my scent. The trails of my scent might confuse him then. I'd catch a cab then, call Jacob and head for the highway. He could meet me there.

Hence, keeping all these things in mind, I dashed for the fire exit near the washroom. Edward would detect my escape soon, but I was hoping to be down the street by that time.

The atmosphere outside the club was as I had expected: bustling with energy, people loitering around in their various costumes. I knew there was going to be a procession of sorts around these parts, so I decided to join them.

I ran across the street towards the crowd. It was my only chance at survival, considering that he wouldn't attack me in a crowded place. He didn't need to cause such a gory mess when he could have me alone, away from all suspicious eyes.

I shuddered. Even my thoughts were turning morbid and hopeless, and I couldn't let that happen. I hurried towards a group wearing red to camouflage myself. We walked together for about two blocks and then turned for the main street.

On the main street, a big screen had been installed on one of the department store fronts. It was currently playing Disney's _Fantasia_—_Night on the bald mountain_. As a child, I had always been scared of this short film. And it wasn't the morbid imagery that made me cower behind the furniture, it was the music. Mussorgsky did a fine job of spooks.

I crisscrossed along the pavement, looking frantically around myself to check if he was coming for me. I needed to get hold of a cab right away. Panic surged inside me again, and the blaring music from the huge screen played like a theme song for me at this moment.

As I increased my speed, my head began to spin. It seemed like the martini had more vodka than I had anticipated, courtesy of the bastard who was probably chasing me right now.

I wasn't sure where to go, but I had to try to evade him until I spotted a cab. Where the fuck were all the cabs when I needed them? Thankfully, I was still in a crowded area. That was my only chance at survival.

And then, as if fate was a co-conspirator with my pursuer, the heel of my shoe got stuck in a crack between the pavement tiles. My ankle almost twisted, but I righted myself just in time. Taking my shoes off would've taken longer, so I bent down and pulled at my shoe, dislodging the heel from the nasty crevice.

By the time I managed to stand straight again; my cover of red was gone.

"Crap," I muttered, my eyes darting to all sides again. A cab was parked a few paces down the road, so without wasting another second, I made a dash for it.

Suddenly, all air left my lungs as I was pulled into an alley, mere feet away from the cab. I tried to scream, but it died out with the swishing air around me. Everything was a blur, and I knew why.

As suddenly as it began, the swishing and blurring stopped, and I found myself in a deserted looking parking lot. Abruptly, I was thrown against a wire mesh fence, and I held onto the interlocked metal to keep myself from toppling. That's when he pressed against me and pinned me to the barricade. The metal wires swung and grated with our combined weight.

"Why must you keep on tormenting me?" he murmured against my face, his cool breath contrasting the beads of sweat on my forehead. "I think we're past these games of hide and seek now."

"Ever heard of introspection, Edward?" I whispered back, gritting my teeth for whatever was to come.

"I choose to ignore your pesky question, kitten."

"Why wouldn't you choose to ignore me as well?" I glared at him. He was breathing hard, and so was I.

"I can't," he muttered after a long pause.

"Do you even realize how pathetic it sounds?" I needed to keep him talking.

He barked a laugh at me, sending more of his frigid breath my way. I hated to admit that he smelled good, considering he was going to murder me soon.

His dead weight pinned me further into the wire mesh, making me groan. I couldn't breathe, being squished like a damned jelly. I let go of the wires and pushed against his chest. When he didn't let up, I took my chance at kneeing him.

He grabbed my knee and pushed my legs apart, stepping between them. That blocked any which way I could have attacked his family jewels. I growled in frustration, cursing his super vampire strength.

"Feisty kitten you are," he mocked me, tugging at my hair and forcing me to look at his pathetically perfect face.

His eyes were black, and that was enough to renew my struggle for life. He grabbed my waist and stilled my frantic bucking and twisting.

"Hush, kitten, the more you struggle, the worse it'll be," he cooed, smiling all evilly at my trapped form. I could still hear _Fantasia_ playing a few blocks away, and I swore I saw Chernabog himself, grinning at me conceitedly. There was no difference between the demon and my captor. Both were thoroughly evil.

"Please, Edward, please…" I was on the verge of breaking down. I let out a silent prayer, hoping against hope that something would change in my favor. That's when I felt a faint stirring around my lower abdomen.

Was he, was he… getting a hard-on? The wheels in my head turned.

I renewed my bucking, careful to rub against him in the process. I heard him utter a hissing noise, and I knew I was on the right track.

"Edward," I spoke his name as a prayer, and locked my eyes with his, "please don't do this. I won't say a word of any of this to anyone, please let me live…"

He stared at me for a while, and I licked my lips for the added effect. His gaze immediately zeroed in on my mouth, and I briefly wondered if perhaps I could get away by dry humping a vampire.

His expression changed then, and the satanic smirk returned. "Your pleading has a nice ring to it." He leered, as his hand came up to cup my neck possessively. "But you can't expect me to let you go just like that, when I've planned all of this so meticulously. I'd be a fool to give up on you."

God, I hated him so much in that moment, I decided to let out all my pent up rage then. "You fucking leech, you'll get your due one day. Filthy motherfucker—"

"Hush!" he exhaled shakily, blowing his sweet breath right into my face. "You can keep the obscenities for later, kitten."

"The dead don't speak," I shot back.

"Ha ha! Very witty, now shut the hell up. Or do you want to give a show to the passers by?"

"I don't. Fucking. Care!" I growled at him like a cornered beast. I was done with the pleading. I wasn't going down without giving him a piece of my mind.

"I'll make you own up to that," he rasped, plunging straight towards my neck. "Feel free to flutter as much as you like."

I stilled and closed my eyes then, not wanting to give him the morbid pleasure of my struggles. His lips skimmed across my bare shoulders and collarbone, all cold and eager to suck me dry. I felt him untie my halter; it certainly gave him a better access to my jugular. My hands trembled as I grabbed the barricade wires, waiting for the painful strike of his teeth.

But the pain never came…

Instead, I felt his fingers slide behind my neck and tilt my head sideways, the same time I felt his lips against mine. My breath came out in short spurts as I realized what was happening. It was so unexpected; I didn't know what else to do.

"Delishhhh," he hummed into my mouth. "Mmmhh want more…" His unyielding mouth nudged mine open; I inhaled a good load of his sweet breath as his whole body vibrated against mine. My brain stopped functioning.

His hands slipped down and gripped my ass, pushing me up against his hard form. We both groaned as my crotch connected with the length of his cock.

He broke the kiss and threw his head back, hissing and muttering God knows what. His face was a picture of pleasure. My mind reeled, and yet, I felt bold enough to reach out and plant a kiss on his bobbing Adam's apple.

"Fuck, Bella, fuck fuck fuck!" he roared and rubbed himself against me. I wrapped my legs around his waist and pushed my body closer to him. I was on a cloud of lust, and I no longer cared if he was a vampire, or a hobbit, or an ogre for that matter. The sudden rush, the realization that he wanted me as a woman and not as food, the feeling of emancipation rode over my better judgment.

I grabbed his neck and sucked on his throat like my life depended on it. His skin was sweet like candy, with honey and vanilla fillings. Too soon, he pushed me away.

Before I could begin to complain, he moved down and kissed between my breasts. That's when I realized he had pulled my bodice down. His hands roughly grabbed at my exposed flesh, and the cold against the warm was shocking.

"Edward ugh… fucking cold, goddamnit!" I yelped, pulling at his hair as he gave me butterfly kisses on my jaw. His hands didn't cease their play with my body. I arched into his touch; the rough and uncaring attitude only arousing me further.

"Shit—Oh!" I cried out as his mouth converged on my nipples, switching between tweaking them and soothing them with his cold tongue. His teeth scared me, though, lest they decided to sink into my sensitive flesh. I could feel them graze my skin as he sucked and teased my perked-up flesh.

Without warning, he pulled back, and I just about managed to hang on to the barricade. My butt would've surely hurt if I'd fallen straight off.

I looked up at him with questioning eyes, worried if he'd changed his mind. His eyes looked crazed as he stared at my exposed chest. I felt strangely self-conscious under the heat of his burning gaze. He licked his lips and closed his eyes while I tried to make up for my lost breaths.

And then he made me jump as he dropped to his knees. I would've yelled at any other man for keeping me on my toes like this, but he wasn't just any other man, he was something else. I stared in puzzlement as he pulled me close and buried his face between my legs. My non-functioning brain couldn't understand.

"Ugh, Edward, wha…" I trailed off as I realized that he was inhaling my arousal. _Holy kinky vampire, Batman!_

"Hold on to the fence," he ordered me roughly. That's when some part of my brain came back to its senses for a bit.

"I don't think this is a good idea," I countered, only now realizing that I had just made out and almost fucked a vampire. _Way to go, Bella, you are now officially eligible for a padded room_, I scolded myself.

"Do as I say," he ordered, his voice too calm for my comfort. My legs trembled. "I won't let you fall."

"No," I whispered, holding on to his shoulders, "this is wrong, all wrong and twisted. I don't know… I don't want to want you… this isn't good. How can I even think about this?" Even I didn't understand what I meant.

He glared at me, the heat in his eyes enough to incinerate any cautioning instinct within me. I honestly didn't remember my argument against wanting him anymore. I drew a blank.

"Really?" he stood up, his nostrils flaring. The rough texture of his jacket rubbed against my nipples as it connected with my bare breasts, sending shockwaves throughout my body.

I nodded, but the argument was already lost on me.

"Don't you like this?" he asked, sliding his hand up my dress and rubbing me through my boy shorts. "Tell me stop and I will."

I bit my lip and leaned against the wire fence, fighting off a moan that threatened to break through my lips. Our eyes locked, and I knew in that instant that I won't stop him. At all.

He slipped his hand inside the waistband and caressed me in slow, lazy strokes. "Your pussy is begging to be fucked, it certainly knows what it wants… better than you."

My breathing became all crazy as his fingers increased the teasing. When two of them pushed inside me, I caved in.

"God, Edward… yes, I want you. Just stop babbling and get to work," I grunted as I started humping his fingers, "Oh… gonna fuck a vampire!" My incoherency reached new levels, in sync with my pleasure. His cold fingers felt strange down there, in a good way, of course.

"Shh, you don't want to attract attention, especially when this vampire fucks you.″ He gave me a quick kiss on the lips and then yanked my boy shorts down.

I shrieked at his sudden vampiric movements as he dropped down once again. The shriek turned into a long drawn moan when I felt his tongue slip inside me.

He hauled my legs up over his shoulders and pulled me closer while I hung on to the wire mesh. His fingers returned to worked alongside his mouth. I felt like I was being levitated.

He was going down on me in a deserted parking lot, and I knew it was risky. At any moment, someone could see us. I felt so exposed, and yet, it generated a certain thrill inside me. Now I knew why exhibitionists did what they did.

"Do you—fuck!" I muttered disjointedly, because I felt his tongue dig deeper into my heated flesh. "Have… D'you vamps have—oh—a pre—prehensile tongue?"

He chuckled, and it vibrated right inside me. That did it; I rambled away nonsense as I came, riding on the most intense orgasm I'd ever had. His mouth didn't leave me any sooner, he just sucked and sucked till I saw black spots marring my vision.

I didn't know what happened then, because the black spots clogged everything else.

* * *

I came back to my senses when I felt something cold and wet and tingly on my nipples. Opening my eyes served no good at first, because all I saw was black. But then I saw a faint ghostly light above me, which turned out to be the moon as it slipped out from behind the clouds.

The moonlight illuminated everything then, and I saw the pale figure that loomed above me. I stared at Edward as he fondled my breasts. His blue button down shirt and black jacket were gone now, revealing his fine musculature to me.

His eyes settled on mine then, as he slid up to eclipse my form against the moon. "Your pussy makes for a great dessert," he murmured, "I'd have gone on and on if you hadn't fainted."

I nodded like a dope, and he grinned at me. "I'm glad that I didn't kill you the first time, you've grown better than before, in more ways that I had thought of. I'll savor all of it now."

He touched me between my legs again, and I squirmed against him. His lower torso brushed against mine, and I realized that we both were bare down there. "Sounds very creepy…" I sighed.

"Get used to it," he grunted, shifting his weight above me, "because I'm not done with you yet." I felt him then, all hard and ready as he settled against me. Somewhere in the back of my mind, I realized I was going to have sex in a goddamn forest, but surprisingly, it didn't bother me much.

I puffed out loud breaths as he pushed in, slow and teasing. He was cold alright, but not as much as I had thought he'd be. My nails tried to dig into his shoulder blades, but he was unyielding, so I settled for hanging onto his neck.

And then he thrust into me hard and fast, pushing all of him inside in one move.

"Fuck, asshole!" I groaned aloud, in a mix of pleasure and pain.

He sneered at me, grabbing my jaw as he moved inside me. "Do I fill all of you, Bella?" he rasped into my face, earning a frantic nod from me. "How does it feel? Tell me, talk to me, lest I fly off…"

"Fuckawesome—ugh…Edward, can't talk," I mumbled, closing my eyes to the feel of his skin against mine, his hardness within me.

"Did anyone make you feel like this before?"

What was with him? I couldn't think straight, and he was going all twenty questions on me.

"Answer me! Talk to me!" He growled, and I felt him retreating. I tried to pull him back, but my strength was no match for him.

"Edward, please," I whimpered, fastening onto him. "No, no I haven't felt anything like this before. I want more… so shut up already." My rambling gave him a pause, and I tried once more to pull him to me.

"Did anyone come close to this? Did that mongrel ever make you feel this good?"

"Wha-what?" I couldn't fathom what he was on about, and I honestly didn't want to think about it. I wanted to experience unhindered sexual high.

"Did that dog ever meet your needs? Did you ever beg Jacob to fuck you?"

My body froze, as did my mind, but he kept going.

"It's good that he's not with you anymore, or else—"

"What the fuck, Edward?" I glowered at him, the feeling of bliss lost all at once.

He stilled within me, but made no move to remove himself. "I meant what I said, Bella. I know you were with that dog, and all because I left you in the clearing that day. Had I known…"

He looked so mad in that moment, that I felt the fear slowly taking its grip on me again. I didn't dare tell him anything that could have angered him more, like the fact that I had been in love with Jacob. I really didn't understand where all this rage suddenly came from.

I needed do something to dispel his rage. I fucking needed for him come back to his sex mojo. So I went and attacked his throat with bites and kisses and.

And it worked like magic. He began to make low, rumbling noises in the back of his throat. Like a purring feline.

We began to move then, together in our newly learned rhythm. It was slow and unhurried at first, but gaining momentum all the same.

He pulled out slightly, then pressed back into me, rocking back and forth, making my eyes roll back in my head. Soon, I was back to moaning and groaning in unison to his throaty growls and purrs.

His crazy mumbling began again, in rhythm to his fucking. "You… Are… Mine." That was all he said, on the repeat again and again. He was a broken record.

The slow fuck was turning into mindfuck, and I was beginning to confuse the two. I just clenched my eyes and tried to drown out his words, because they didn't make any sense to me. Why the sudden possessiveness?

Edward shifted, and a loud gasp escaped me as he moved to sit back on his knees, pulling me along to straddle him while we were still joined. As if possible, I felt him move deeper within me in this new position. He grabbed my butt and squeezed it roughly, pulling me down as he pushed into me.

My mouth parted in ecstasy as I felt the initial surge of an approaching orgasm.

"I'll fuck him out of your mind, Bella, I'll fuck everything out of you till all you can think about is me, and only me," he chanted against the valley between my breasts.

I was unable to respond, too overwhelmed with the looming pleasure peak as he pounded into me. My hand moved down to my clit to help me reach my climax, but he slapped it away.

"No, first you have to tell me," he hummed into my skin, "tell me you're mine, tell me I can have you as I wish… tell me you belong to me."

I acquiesced, with zero of my willpower left to argue anything. "I'm yours, all yours, take me as you wish, you already are..."

"No, I want more." He increased his pace then, rocking me harder on himself.

"Then have it," I whimpered unthinkingly, grabbing his hair as I felt his thumb press on my clit.

My muscles clenched around him as my long delayed orgasm hit me like a battering ram, a tidal surge that just grew and grew. He kept rocking into me all the while it lasted, and even after it was reduced to a faint quiver.

"Now my turn to take what's mine," I heard him say as I felt a sting on my neck. His cold mouth covered it quickly, but not before I could smell the rusty tang of blood. It made me dizzy.

I felt him suck on my newly inflicted wound; he was drawing my blood out like a suction machine.

"Edward, _Edward_, please _no_… uhh…" My voice faded into a sob as I clawed at his arms. They were like a cage, and I wasn't getting out until he was done with me. The realization made me frantic, but I was unable to wriggle away.

A loud ringing rose in my ears as I flailed in his arms. I thought I heard faint howling from somewhere far off, but the ringing drowned it out.

Edward's whole body buzzed and shuddered as I felt him coming inside me. It was the last thing that registered with me as my world faded away.


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer****: **I don't own Twilight, or any of its characters. But I do own my brand of Darkward. S. Meyer owns everything that's Twilight.

**NOTE: This is a new chapter, the previous ones have been more or less the same as the one shot, with slight changes here and there. I divided the OS into 3 chapters because that way it looks better.**

* * *

"Oh, hell!" I blurted as I collided with someone, my project material flying everywhere in a shower of printouts and folders.

"I'm sorry," a honey-dripping voice offered as two hands shot out to steady my wobbling frame.

My head snapped up to meet the contrite face of… Edward Cullen, and I briefly realized how much more attractive he looked up close; not that he wasn't drop dead gorgeous from a distance.

However, his seraphic face did not help with the odd hostile and intimidating vibe he always gave off. So, naturally, I distanced myself from him.

"I didn't see you around the corner, I'm really sorry," he mumbled, his voice sounding a little throttled. Must be a sore throat, I deduced.

"It's okay." I shrugged, reaching for my now scattered and mixed-up project material.

"Let me help you." He bent down right alongside me, picking my stuff up faster than I could have done alone. I didn't mind. He was able to collect more of it since he had nice, big, male hands, as opposed to my clumsy feminine ones.

I attempted to retrieve my stuff from his hands, but he resisted, moving it out of my reach.

"I'll walk you to your truck and then deposit these wherever you want them," he proffered, flashing a disarming smile in my direction.

"Umm, okay."

I almost felt like asking him how he knew that I drove a truck, but then I shrugged it off. After all, Forks High was a typical small town school where everyone knew a bit too much about everyone else. Even I knew what car he drove, though I didn't really know him.

"Hey, you're Bella, right?" he asked, walking me to my red Chevy.

"Umm, yeah," I casually replied, feeling my cheeks grow warm. "E-Edward Cullen, right?" He nodded, a small smile lighting up his face.

We hadn't really talked to each other since I had moved here three months ago. And what little scope of conversation we did have, evaporated the moment I came to sit beside him in our English class.

He had glared at me with a murderous flare, and I'd cowered away into my seat until the class ended. Once class was over, he had stormed out of the there like a bat out of hell. I had no idea why.

Needless to say, I stayed away from him when I could. And it was easy for the most part; we didn't have that many classes together. But when it was unavoidable, I sat as far away as possible. To hell with the hotness, the guy gave me the creeps.

"I'm really sorry for this mess," he said, eyeing my folders as he held them, "I wasn't watching where I was going. Must have disturbed the order of the papers and stuff."

Why was he trying to be conversational? It was so out of character for him.

"I have them numbered, so no biggie." I tried to act normal with him; like that episode in English never happened. Truthfully, I was having a hard time recalling that memory as he stood before me now. His smiling face looked incapable of such hostility.

Maybe I had misjudged him. So I figured starting over anew was the best option. Although, something about him still made me feel uncomfortable.

"Okay, thanks for the helping hand," I said as we reached my truck. "You can put these here in my passenger seat." I motioned toward the papers he held.

He nodded and did as I asked of him. For some odd reason, he lingered around my passenger side, regarding my mode of transport with curious eyes while I fired the ignition.

And very anti-climactically, or should I say climactically, my truck didn't start. _Way to pummel my ego when the snazzy silver car driving hottie is watching._

I tried again, and again, but still no response. It was dead, and I wished I was too, because Edward was staring at me with a concerned look.

"Something wrong?" he asked, coming around to the driver's side.

"Yeah, well, I guess it just croaked." I waved my hands in defeat, not meeting his eye. "I'll have to take it to a mechanic, preferably my friend, whose dad actually owned it before me."

"Okay, but I guess it can't be done today, right?"

I gave him a small nod.

"I'll drive you home then, and you can call your friend over tomorrow or whatever."

I surreptitiously glanced around the parking lot to see if I had any other options aside from humiliating myself further. Because really, I would feel even more insignificant if he drove me home in his shiny silver sedan.

The lot was almost deserted now. I didn't even realize how late it was getting.

"Okay," I squeaked in agreement, slipping out of my truck.

Edward was swift in moving my things to his car. I was glad for his help, because I knew dinner would get late if I didn't reach home soon. After all, I was the designated cook of the house.

He slipped a hand around my shoulder to guide me to his car, even though I could clearly see where it was parked. Wow, I never expected that from Edward Cullen, the aloof, brooding guy who never bothered to get close to anyone, let alone girls.

I didn't understand why, but with each step toward his car, the hairs on my back rose like hackles, as though something was wrong.

"Cool interior," I praised, observing the inside of his car once I settled in.

He just smirked and nodded. Smug much?

I didn't know what else to say, so I kept quiet. Idle chit-chat was not really my thing. Plus, I was feeling kind of nervous, which may or may not have been due to Edward Cullen's sex appeal.

Anyway, my home wasn't that far away from school, so I knew it'd be a short ride home. And he was driving fast, which meant it would be shorter than usual.

As my home neared, I began to unbuckle my seatbelt. I was hoping for him to reduce the car speed, now that he needed to park.

But the car wasn't slowing down, and that was enough to spike my nerves. We were about to pass my house, and it looked as though he wasn't planning on stopping.

"Edward," I choked out, trembling with a sudden bout of anxiety. "My home… My home just… passed." My home and everything else outside was a mere blur now.

"Oh?" he asked, glancing outside. He was faking the concerned look he gave me; I was damn sure of it.

"Wh-where are you taking me? I want to go home!" I tried to load my voice with some extra determination, but it came out all hoarse and edgy.

"Silly Bella, you're not going home today," he replied coolly, turning his face toward me. He was smiling, but it wasn't a pleasant smile. It was more like a triumphant sneer which was slowly widening into a full-blown fiendish grin.

My body gave an involuntary shudder.

The car was moving along the highway, to God knows where. All I could discern was the thickening forest ahead of us.

I briefly speculated opening my door and just throwing myself out, but then I remembered how fast we were going. It would be smarter for me to jump out when he came to a stop.

Edward's hand suddenly clamped onto mine, and I jerked in shock. His skin was ice-cold!

My eyes flashed to his, and for the first time, I noticed how oddly pitch-black they were. I couldn't even distinguish the pupils from the irises.

He loosened his grip on my hand and concentrated on driving again. I just stared at him incredulously, silently urging myself to keep calm. But who was I kidding? My heart was thumping a mile a minute.

I kept telling myself that this must be a trick, a prank, or something. Why would he want to hurt me, the daughter of the police chief?

Turning down a deserted dirt road, Edward slammed the breaks and killed the engine.

I was about to protest anew, but he was at my door faster than you could say, "I'm so fucked!"

The door flew open and in came his looming hands out to grab me.

"Edward," I gasped, attempting to shrink back inside the car, but he pulled me out all too easily, as though I was weightless.

His didn't let up his hold on me, not even when I struggled with all my might.

"Bella," he cooed in my ear, "don't be so difficult, you're making it harder for me to control myself."

"What the hell do you want from me?" I cried, my vision blurring with tears.

I didn't get an answer; instead, he just tucked me in his arms like some sick toddler. And then the air around me passed in a whoosh.

I had no idea what was happening, but I suddenly felt weightless. It was disorienting, and I realized I was screaming as a result.

Finally, he let me go, and I stumbled away from him. My feet gave beneath me, and I fell flat on my butt.

He was hovering above me in the next second. Panic surged inside me, and I tried to scream again, but he cut me off with his hand.

My wide, teary eyes looked into his as he kept his hand firmly clamped upon my mouth.

"I just… need a little taste, just a little. I don't want to kill you, okay?" he muttered, sounding like a complete loon. "If you struggle, then you will die."

He removed his hand from my mouth and grabbed my shoulders instead. I just stared at him in absolute horror.

"Please, don't… I'm a virgin," I blurted out, desperate to somehow deter him from doing the god-awful act I presumed he was planning to. I was thinking of threatening him by using my Dad's designation, but I was afraid that it would only egg him on.

He blinked at me for a second or two, and then chuckled loudly. "What strange ideas the humans get."

"Wh-what?" Why was he acting as though he was above humans, like he wasn't one? Wait, he didn't feel like one, per se.

What _had_ I gotten myself into?

"Although you're quite tempting, I'm not planning on popping your cherry," he stated, eyeing the collar of my Tee.

Then what was he planning? Was he… like some crazed axe murderer or something?

My lips quivered, as a new round of tears came flooding down my eyes. I was going to end up broken and smashed, a victim of a serial killer. I thought about my dad, and how it was highly likely that he'd be the one to recover my body.

"Don't," he ordered, reaching for my collar. "I'm not fucking going to rape you, just stop with the weeping!"

"You're going to kill me!" I wailed, blubbering and sobbing like I had never done before.

"I don't want to, okay? But you're making it impossible for me," he shot back, grabbing my Tee and pulling me closer.

As I inhaled long, struggled breaths, his scent filled my lungs, rendering me momentarily dazed.

And then I felt it—his icy lips on my neck, the cold of his tongue tingling my skin as he sucked on it.

"What the…" I whispered in shock, all my wailing and thrashing forgotten.

He hummed, literally hummed into my neck, as though he was high or something.

That tongue… cold and wet tongue… licked languidly on my skin, as if I was some rare flavored ice-cream. More shockingly, it made me light-headed.

My back arched and my whole body felt suddenly alive and aware of his proximity. It literally ached for contact, any contact.

Edward pulled away from me then, and stared at me with bewildered eyes. I was going to ask him what the hell he was doing to me, but I was cut short by a string of loud, monstrous growls.

It all happened suddenly and so quickly, that my eyes only registered colors at first. Brown—black—white—sandy—all swishing about each other.

It took me a while to see that Edward was trying to fight off a pack of huge ass wolves—the size I had never seen before.

I stared in wonder as they fought and evaded each other. The wolves were quick, but Edward was quicker, much quicker. One of them snapped at him, and his shirt got caught in its teeth. It was a close shave, but he evaded the wolf by a hairsbreadth.

The growls got louder, as Edward tried to reach me from around these mammoth wolves. For once, he was successful, and he pulled me against him one last time before whispering in my ear.

"I'll come back for you," he promised me, and then he was gone… leaving me terror-struck and frozen on the damp ground.

* * *

I woke up with a jerk, feeling woozy and tired, as if my weight had gone up in tons. I was lead.

To add to my misery, my fucking nightmare had returned. After all these years, I thought I had mastered the art of blocking it, but no, it just came back, as lucid as before. Why was this one scary memory so clear, when others tended to fade?

Groaning, I just about managed to raise my head a little, only to crash again. That's when I realized I was on the floor, because my jaw fucking hurt on impact.

I opened my eyes and looked sideways at the limbs of my bed, which were just mere inches away from me.

Various questions popped in my head then…

Why the fuck was I on the floor and not on my bed?

What time was it?

What day was it?

Why did I feel so spent?

What had happened in the last few hours?

I had to really push myself to try to remember all these details. At first, I came back blank, but then, certain images began floating into my consciousness.

_Halloween… Return of the undead monster of my nightmare… Tango with death… Chernabog… FUCK—ING—a vampire!_

Literally in that order.

I jerked upright in shock, as all of the horrendous events of last night filtered through my fuzzy memory.

_Edward…_

Edward-Fucking-Vampire-Cullen!

Edward-The-Orgasm-Machine!

Edward-My death sentence!

My head spun round and round, still reeling from the memories of last night… of the mind-melting, multiple-orgasmic fuck I had received from that man. That infuriating man—vampire—whatever, who had paid me a visit on the eve of hallows to…well, to eat me.

He did eat me, actually, and I wasn't complaining then. Oh, that prehensile tongue…

Edward Cullen, my grim reaper, and the best fuck I'd ever had. That one name echoed in my mind, numbing me with terror, arousing me with its recollection.

I rocked back and forth as I sat there on the floor, running my hands up and down around my arms. My body ached, and I was certain I had a litany of bruises running all along it. Fuck, I had welcomed that bruising touch last night; I had wanted it rough.

What the hell had just happened? What the fuck had I done?

I mentally slapped—no—punched myself.

Having sex with a vampire… what was I _thinking_?

It was sick and twisted as far as I remembered it, even though he had made my toes curl with pleasure. I felt like a cheap whore, or worse maybe, since I was certainly wrong in the head. Who just goes and has sex with their potential murderer? Thankfully, I was still alive, despite what his intentions may have been.

Wait, I was alive, right?

I _felt_ alive, but just to be on the safe side of things, I checked my pulse. It was there, all right. I wasn't dead.

Yet…

My hand instinctively reached for my neck, where he had bitten me; I remembered it now—the sting, the revolting smell of blood, everything. I felt around for a scar of sorts, but found nothing, except for the smooth, unbroken texture of my skin.

I knew there would be no puncture wounds. Vampires of reality were nothing like the vampires of the lore. According to my knowledge regarding the vampires, his teeth should have left a huge crescent scar on my skin, but there was none.

I crawled toward my dressing mirror and checked my reflection. I realized I was naked, and I immediately turned red with mortification.

A lot of angry hickeys marked my skin, from my neck to my legs. _When did he suck on my fucking legs?_

Then there were the bruises. A few purple finger impressions adorned my hips, my shoulders, my ribs… Ouch! I didn't even feel them at the time. I had actually relished in the fact that he was holding me so tight.

I was definitely fucked-up in the head.

I'd have to hide all the marks; the evidence of my nightly ravishment. No one could ever know about last night.

Through this inventory of my body, one thing was clear to me—there was no scar on my skin, at least not any of the vampire kind. There had to be a scar or something that resembled a vampire bite, or else, how had I smelt my blood?

And then one trickle of a possibility sprung in my head. Had I dreamt of him? Had I made up all of the events of last night?

I certainly wasn't hallucinating about him, these hickeys and bruises were confirmation of that… of my thorough fucking at his hands.

Shit, I needed to _not_ think about that part, it was messing with my head _and_ my body.

I shook my head, trying to clear my thoughts.

Reluctantly, I heaved myself up from the floor and trudged to my nightstand to retrieve my cell phone. But before I could fish it out of my purse, my eyes drifted to the other things that occupied the small table.

Something shiny caught my eye, and I discovered it was a trophy of some sort. Picking it up, I realized that it was the winner's trophy of the dance competition hosted by _Drunken Dancing_. The competition in which I had participated.

With shaky hands, I picked up the other stuff that lay on my nightstand. There was a signed cheque in my name, along with some form of certificate approving of my dancing abilities, along with Edward's. And then there was a neatly folded piece of paper beside it.

As I picked it up and began unfolding it, I heard the voice of Angela, filtering through from the living room. Then there was the distinct bang of the main door closing.

Shit, she was home. Of course, it was a Monday; she wouldn't stay over at Ben's. Usually, it was Ben who was always here on weekends, not vice-versa, but I didn't have the time to contemplate on their changed plans.

I ran over to my bathroom, the folded note still clutched in my hands. Once inside, I locked myself in and fumbled with the shower faucet.

I was going to take a shower anyway, so why not now?

The note nearly slipped from between my fingers, but I caught it quickly. Opening it finally, I attempted to read whatever was written inside.

The writing was neat and elegant, inciting a lot of envy from inside me. Though, my green-eyed monster passed out on the bathroom floor when I read what the black ink said.

**_The folks at the club thought you rude for not being there to receive the prize, but don't worry, I saved face. The trophy and the cheque are all yours, the booty shorts are mine, as a memento._**

**_I must thank you as well, for the, well, good times. I savored every drop of my dessert; you're sweet all around. Plus, my apologies, for I tend to forget about my strength, especially when distracted._**

**_Till we meet again._**

**_Take care, my feisty red cherry,_**

**_Yours truly…_**

**_PS – The wolves were fun to play with. Though you might want to call your pet and tell him you're at home, since he still thinks you're with me._**

Fuck me, he took my boyshorts! That perv!

Oh, and I needed to call Jacob ASAP. _Where the hell would he be at this hour? Would he be in human form or wolf?_

"Bella! You in there?"

Angela's yelling from outside made me jump. Well, I appreciated it, since it brought me out of my trance.

"Yeah!" I managed to squeak. "Taking a shower!"

"Oh… okay," she trailed off, sounding as though she wanted to say more. "Wait!"

I would have rolled my eyes if I hadn't been feeling so damn tired. "Yup?"

"Is… anyone in there with you?" she asked hesitantly.

"What the hell, Angie?" No, seriously. "Do you think I have a shower fetish or something?" Not that I denied it, but it was none of her business.

"Oh, sorry!" And with that, I heard her retreat, leaving me in peace.

I hid the note in my bathrobe pocket and headed under the shower spray to relax my wound up body. My shower lasted longer than I had intended, hence making me late for work.

Peeking out of my bathroom door, I was glad to see that my room was empty. But I intuitively knew that I wouldn't be left alone for long. So getting my butt out of here as quickly as possible was my best option.

I dressed in haste, grabbing a white shirt and black pants from my closet and tying my hair in a ponytail. A matching black peplum jacket and a skinny belt completed the look, essentially helping me in hiding most of my skin. Simple styling was my mantra today, because anything more than that would waste my time.

Angela was taking her own morning shower when I headed out. I was happy to have evaded her, for now.

I reached my workplace just in the nick of time. Okay, maybe a little late by my boss's standards.

As I made for my office, I found Christy Hemlock, my boss and the owner of Hemlock Designs, chatting with her stepdaughter, my good friend Alice Brandon.

They stood smack in the middle of the hallway, thereby making it impossible for me to go incognito.

"Hey Bella," they both greeted me in chorus, but in opposing tones. Alice was pleasant as usual, but Christy… well; let's just say that she was reminding me about workplace punctuality.

I mentally cursed my luck again, which was getting old now.

"Morning ladies," I mumbled with an apologetic smile, "I'm sorry for being late. Got caught up."

Christy gave me a stiff nod, while Alice offered a sympathetic smile.

"Do you have the latest designs in jute fabric, the ones I mentioned on Friday?" Christy asked, eyeing something on my face… no, my neck, I think. "Or were you too busy this weekend?" The last sentence seemed like an afterthought, as she continued to stare at my neck.

"Oh, yeah, those… Yup, I have them in my laptop. I'll bring them to you in a few."

I decided to check my neck in the mirror as soon as I reached my room.

"All right, I'll be waiting in my office." Christy turned around and disappeared around the hallway.

"So, I'm not gonna push you for details or anything," Alice said, her eyes twinkling with humor, "but really, Bella, those are some prominent hickeys."

Shit! Busted! My face immediately grew hot.

"Umm…" I began, not really sure how I could wave it off. "Alice, it's really not—"

"Hey," she interrupted, gently placing her hand on my arm. "It's okay. Your personal life details are just that—personal. I don't get off on TMI, anyway." She winked at me and then proceeded toward the design room.

Did I mention that Alice was actually sort of an angel?

Once inside my room, I checked my reflection in my small compact mirror. Two angry hickeys peeked from the edge of my shirt collar.

Edward's bruising lips floated back in my memory, and the compact slipped from my grip.

Slowly, inadvertently, my memory cruelly displayed the events of the Hallow's night to me… again and again. My whole body shook in violent spasms as the panic finally set in.

I had embraced a monster, a monster who had intended to kill me for his personal satisfaction. Why didn't I just choose to die instead? Why was I so defenseless against him? Why couldn't I resist him?

My intercom beeped, prompting me to play normal for now. I needed to repress my bad memories to function properly. I couldn't let it all out at this moment, so I steeled myself and picked up the phone.

I took the intercom call from Christy, assuring her that I was nearly done with the latest designs. Thankfully, my façade of normalcy didn't fail me this time.

I applied concealer to my neck hickeys, and, just to be on the safe side, I buttoned my shirt up right to the hilt.

Before I made it to Christy, I made the requisite and unavoidable call to Jacob, to inform him that I was safe.

"What the fuck do you mean, Bella?" he blared from the other side. "His trail was heading toward Canada. At least, that's what it looked like."

"I don't know about trails, Jake, but I'm well and good." I bit my lip, wondering what else I could offer. "And thanks… for coming to my rescue."

"I didn't come to your rescue," he lamented, "I couldn't make it in time. That fucker… he got away. Again!"

"Jake, just calm down, okay? I'm fine, so that's the better part of the deal, yeah?"

"Yeah, but we don't know when he'll decide to change his mind and come back." A long, pregnant silence followed afterwards. I waited, having nothing else left to say. "Okay, did he, like, mention anything to you?"

"Like what?"

"Anything, like why he left you unscathed, after all that shit he pulled."

I debated upon telling him about Edward's long ass note, but decided against it. It wasn't going to help, and I didn't want Jake knowing about my sexcapades.

"I just woke up in my bedroom in the morning, and he was gone. I don't know what his motivations were for leaving me alive." It was a tactful answer, I believe.

"Hmm… you invited him over to your place?"

"Are you fucking crazy? Who invites such… men over?"

"I don't know, Bella, but they have certain charms, ya know?" he responded, making me cringe with the reality of his words. "They are made that way, to lure their victims into their web."

"Well, that works on unsuspecting victims," I retorted defensively. "I knew what he was, that's why I texted you."

"Your smell was undoubtedly fused with his…" He left it at that, and I swear I heard a shoe drop somewhere.

"We had to dance at the club, for the competition. He made me do it. And I didn't refuse, because I was buying time."

Our conversation grew strained afterwards, so I cut off, with clinical precision of course. "Listen, I have a lot of work to catch up on. I'll let you know if anything fishy happens. And you keep me posted as well, just to be on the safe side. Okay?"

"Okay, we're not leaving the hunt. I'm on constant alert now. We'll not rest until we dismember him and set him alight. You take care of yourself."

Closing my phone, I sat back in my chair, breathing deeply. I was surprised to see how tense I was during that whole conversation. And if I was being honest with myself, it had nothing to do with my discomfort regarding Jacob or our past.

* * *

**Let me know how you have liked the continuation. Response always makes me a better author. :)**


	5. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer****: **I don't own Twilight, or any of its characters. But I do own my brand of Darkward. S. Meyer owns everything that's Twilight.

**A/N: Thank you all for the loving reviews. I heart each one of them. I haven't gotten around the fuck up that my life is right now, namely the never-ending exams. So replying time gets squeezed out. But if you have anything specific to ask, I'll defo reply. :)**

* * *

_Twitch… Tremble… Twitch… Tremble…_

"Bella?"

Everything's locked, check.

"Bellaa…"

But if he decided to pay me a visit, no locks and bolts could keep him away.

"Bella-ella-ella!"

"What, Angie?" I snapped, raising my voice a tad too much.

_Way to be a bitch to your caring friend._

"Whoa, you're acting like a cornered cat," she observed, quite accurately if I may add. "What's gotten into you?'

"Nothing," I shot back defensively, pulling my stole tightly around my shoulders.

"Yeah, nothing." Her voice dripped with sarcasm, and I just about stopped myself from cringing. "You're locking every door and window, double bolting I should add, and you've been mostly hiding away in your bedroom since coming back from work. Nothing, my ass."

I wondered how she'd react if I told her the truth. You know, just to shut her up? I actually thought about doing just that.

_Yes, Angie, I'm going catatonic, but not without reason. You see, our former classmate, Edward Cullen, is actually a vampire. Right, a blood drinker, who's stalking me. You might want to run now, so here's your headstart!_

Not a very judicious move. It would certainly certify me for a padded room.

After awaiting my reply for about thirty seconds, Angela grumbled and turned her attention to the already switched on television. God, she never got tired of the idiot box.

Her whimsical channel surfing irritated the shit out of me, but I didn't complain. I was not interested in turning her attention back to me.

I rifled through a few fashion magazines, trying my best to ignore my friend. It wasn't fruitless, either. I got a refresher on the latest fads and trends. It was my job after all, finding and targeting the latest styles to help the growth of our business.

Alas, my focus just wasn't entirely there. More than once, I caught myself stealing furtive peeks at the living room windows. I didn't know what I was expecting to find there… perhaps, a pale face with predatory eyes?

My body jerked straight—a madcap reaction to my recollection of that perfect pale face.

Angela's worried eyes flew back to me, and this time, I sighed in defeat.

"It's okay to admit that you're scared, I am too." She hunched closer to me, wrapping her own afghan around herself. "The world won't end if you admit your fears, Bella. Everyone fears for their respective lives."

Surprised, I raised an eyebrow, since I completely missed what she was trying to convey. Truth be told, I became quite tense because she was hitting too close to home. How did she know that I was scared shitless?

After all, Edward had all but promised to pay me a visit soon. I was absolutely certain of his impending return, what with reading his note many times over before going to bed throughout this week. Not that I was able to actually sleep properly.

"I don't understand," I responded, trying hard to make myself sound sarcastic, or indifferent, or just about anything but nervy.

"Bella, we live in a big city, and unlike Forks, it's riddled with crime. The crime rate is rising and shit, I get it. It's not irrational to be afraid for your life."

My brows must have hit the top of my head because she hastened to clarify.

"God, you act so dumb sometimes." She shook her head. "You're worried because of all these murders, right? Well, I'd be afraid as well because something's really fishy with them."

_Wait, what murders?_

Fucking awesome! I was completely out of the loop these days, but I nodded nonetheless so that she would explain further.

Angela simply switched to the Channel Five News, which was currently reporting about the serial killings that had gripped our city. I had simply ignored the news up until now, and that was embarrassing.

"I'd be locking and bolting my doors and windows too." She nodded, waving at the television. "I mean, already, four people have been found dead, and two others are missing."

_Okay, Angela, no need to go Miss Crime Reporter on my ass, I get it._

I literally smacked myself on the forehead then, as I realized that she was on a completely different page. My fears, though essentially similar, were closer to home than hers. I had already been attacked. Twice.

"Yeah, Angie," I fibbed, closing my eyes and relaxing back into the couch. "It's clearly gotten on my nerves. I mean, who knows when someone might decide to hack us to death? Life is so damn unpredictable."

I might have overcompensated there, but at least she seemed to buy it.

"Actually, life, by nature is unpredictable." She smirked, linking her fingers together.

Had to give it to her, there.

"I'm worried as well, yes, but I'm not as paranoid as you are. You've gone way ahead, Bella, chillax a little."

"You know, Angie, I think working in the field of journalism has made you kind of apathetic and hardass," I teased, eliciting a guffaw from her.

"Shut up, you moron!" She slapped my shoulder playfully. "I'm just better informed than you."

"Uh-huh, what do you know that I don't?"

I was ribbing her, knowing full well that she was kind of right, because Angela Weber was unwavering in her ambition to become an ace journalist, namely, a crime reporter. It was her passion, and going by her recent success in clinching a deputy reporter's job with the local newspaper, she was not far from getting what she wanted.

After all, the guy under whom she worked was all kinds of impressed with her. He had been her mentor ever since she took an internship with him in college, where she had shone brightly with her hard work.

"There is a design to these murders…" Angela murmured after a minute-long silence, staring blankly at the television screen. Clearly, she had missed my playful taunt.

"What kinda design, Prada or Dolce & Gabbana?" I pulled air quotes to maintain the funny vibe in the room because my friend had suddenly grown quite serious.

She shook her head then, as though untangling her thoughts. "Never mind, just one of my lame conspiracy theories. And stop with the goddamn teasing already, Bella! You want me to make fun of the Gucci-clad tramps at your workplace?"

"Hey!" I threw a magazine at her. "I'd be one of them too, then. Do I look like a tramp to you?"

"More like a nun with an identity crisis because you certainly don't dress like one, and you have no interest in checking out the guy market."

That offended me, seriously. "What the hell?"

"What?" She absentmindedly waved in my direction. "You don't want to date anyone, and I'm not even asking what you did with Cullen because he all but disappeared after Halloween."

I stiffened at the mention of his name, barely keeping my expression from giving away my internal turmoil.

"I'll date when I fucking feel like it, thank you very much. Right now, I don't have the time to invest in a new relationship." I hoped to ever-loving God that I sounded sincere.

"Yeah, and you don't do the one night stands or the no-strings attached thingy," she snarked, patting my knee. "But do you realize that you look like the poster girl of sexual frustration? Everyone needs a release now and then."

I placed my head in my palms and groaned loudly, attempting to drown out Angela's droning about my non-existent sex life. Ugh… if only she knew…

"Just can it, Angie, leave me to my frustrations for the time being." I peeked at her from between my fingers, silently praying that she'd let up.

She rolled her eyes at me and then stood up to stretch her limbs. "Whatever, Bella, I'm not affected by your Debby Downer attitude. Want some hot chocolate? I'm gonna make one for myself."

I accepted the offer, though admitting that I needed to crash ASAP. I was damn tired, and not just because of a hectic week's work. I needed to rest my overwrought body and brain, which were mostly busy trying to deal with the stress of an impending visit from a certain supernatural creature.

The light chitchat we had over the steamy cocoa did ease my anxiety, but it wasn't enough to completely banish my worries. I suffered through a fitful sleep, just like I had the previous six days.

This pattern continued for about a month, wherein I was reduced to a zombie state in the morning due to my repetitive nightmares and insufficient sleep. But I waited, with morbid fascination, for my stalker—would be murderer—one night fuck—vampire to return.

Well, he didn't. Not just this month, but the next few months as well, no sign of him. I even celebrated everything from Thanksgiving to New Year's without a single disturbance from his side. It was complete silence, the same as seven years ago, after his attempted attack in Forks.

This dirty game of long, drawn-out hide and seek left me highly aggravated.

_Either he should return and finish the job once and for all, _I thought repetitively for two months, _or he shouldn't return at all. Save me the fucking anxiety, at least._

My issue was that I instinctively knew that he'd do neither. That left me in a state of limbo, and it was emotionally exhausting.

Jake didn't call again, as well, and I supposed that he had nothing to tell. We never called each other without a purpose, not anymore. It wasn't even a real friendship between us, if I was being honest with myself.

His life was now focused around his wife and his tribe. I was just a liability, I guess, since I was in on his tribe's secrets. He couldn't just do away with me like an average ex. Plus, I believe he felt obligated to protect me, since saving people from vampires was his pack's job.

Otherwise, I was just another outsider, nothing special, and I was not welcome in La Push. The post break-up cold attitude of everyone else belonging to the tribe was evidence enough of it.

Not that I had any intention of visiting them. I wasn't that foolish. I knew that they saw me as a disturbance, a probable disruptor of Jake and Leah's peaceful conjugal life.

_Well, fuck that, and fuck them all._

I could deal with it all, the rejection and the pain of a lost love. I had, in fact, dealt with it quite agreeably. Never once did I beg Jake to take me back, or to even stay friends.

Yes, to the outside world, we were still essentially friends. Like, I didn't burn his effigies or bad mouth him or anything. I wasn't some crazy jilted woman.

I could safely say that I courted a passive resentment toward Jake. I simply acted with indifference, especially whenever I visited Forks.

My phone beeped, demanding my attention. It was a text from Alice, inviting me for lunch at a local deli. I courteously refused, citing workload issues.

I had much to accomplish today, from checking out the designs for the next collection, to keeping a track of the orders for custom made bags and luggage. And that was not all.

Hence, nearly all my lunchtime was devoted to work, with me eating office-delivered cheese pizza with coke while diligently straining my eyes on my computer screen.

After lunch crunch hour, I made a quick visit to my boss, Christy Hemlock, to get her approval and help regarding a few designs I'd selected, since Alice was busy with her team of technical designers. Then, I had a headlock of a meeting with our manufacturers. It lasted longer than I had anticipated, but thankfully, I settled everything with them.

Handling the business well was extremely important, especially since Christy was planning on expanding. And my eyes were right on the prize, that is, the whole of Washington State. Christy had hinted towards giving me the charge of our business here, owing to my 'fine managerial and liaison skills'—as she herself had remarked.

Yes, there were many obstacles in the way, namely my few shortcomings. I wasn't that creative a designer, and I had issues with handling the CAD design programs. But bag designing businesses never flourished on creativity alone, it was always dependent on promotion and marketing, and of course, authenticity. I had the skills and I had the contacts to make that aspect work here.

And I had Alice with me, to handle the parts that I couldn't. Being the creative head, she always delivered good, chic designs. I was more of a trend hawk, wherein I slipped in and out of a designer's role. Alice never hesitated in asking for my suggestions.

In fact, she was the one who initiated me into the world of designing. We had been classmates at the WSU College of Business. Alice saw that I had a knack for fashion—not as much as her, good lord—and she urged me to join her for a course in dressmaking and design.

Having received the news of Jacob's impending wedding, I had wanted to get away from the whole motherfucking state of Washington.

So, I took her up on her offer and went to attend the Penn Foster School with her, where we were literally joined at the hip. And once we were back, Christy immediately hired us for her fledgling handbag business. It was then that I finally realized how craftily Alice had planned both of our careers. She was fucking brilliant.

Since then, Alice and I had worked our asses off for Hemlock Designs.

Initially, I had worked with her for many a collection of handbags. Later on, my workload grew into management, and Alice was given the charge of designing. But Christy had afforded us a free rein, and thus, there were no reservations on my occasional working with the design team.

And, thus, here I was, juggling between managerial tasks and creative endeavors. Alice had wanted my comments on the made-to-order bag designs, since I was the one who had personally met our clients. So I was stuck in my office till late in the evening, clicking and typing away on my computer.

"Fuck," I muttered sulkily, pushing away from the keyboard to rub the back of my neck. "I need a massage."

"May I help you with that?" A scarily soft, velveteen voice murmured into my ear.

_Shit! Or maybe I should say 'fucking finally!'_

I spun around in my chair, blood draining from my face as my dread rose up.

Nothing… I scanned the back of my office; there was no one there… except, there _was_.

"I-I know… you're here," I whispered, barely audible to even my own ears. My heart raced away, literally ready to burst out from my chest.

I waited. For what, I did not know. Perhaps, for him to make a move already. Like snapping at me, or maybe going all slasher movie on my ass: a la blood and gore.

"Obviously, Kitten."

My head snapped to my right—still couldn't catch him in time. I wondered how fast these creatures actually were. Bart Allen had nothing on him.

"You know I'm here because I _let_ you know…" His icy breath tickled my skin, right on the back of my neck.

I shivered, and it was a tie between the chill and the fear.

This time, I didn't move to seek him out; instead, I tried to remain as still as possible. You know, like those poor day-trippers in Jurassic Park, when they were being bothered by that huge-ass T-Rex?

Then an absurd thought crossed my mind: T-Rex versus Edward Cullen, who'd win?

The resultant mental image I got was hilarious, and I would've laughed out loud, had he not gripped my neck. No, grip was the wrong word; more like gently molded his long fingers around the curve of my very vulnerable neck.

"Could you take out T-Rex?" I blurted, in a much higher pitch than usual.

"What?" I could hear the smile in his voice… God, that vicious, conceited smile of his.

"Hypothetically, you know? I was just wondering…"

_Shit, Bella! Really? Who jokes around with their grim reaper?_

I could hear his muted laughter behind me, probably thinking what a whack job I was.

"Yes. And I don't even want to ask how or why this question sprang in that pretty but bizarre head of yours," he answered finally, after he'd had his fill of laughs at my expense.

"Can I ask something else?" I dared, cringing all through my question.

A gruff sound of approval left his lips.

"Why are you here?"

"What, no Edward versus Velociraptor hypothetical faceoff? Or Edward versus Alien? Or Edward versus Superman?"

I grunted a laugh, which came out like a sneeze. Very slowly, I swiveled my chair around to face him. I was actually expecting him to flash off again, but he didn't. He simply adjusted himself in the narrow space between my knees, his hands shifting to my armrest.

Crouching Edward, jumpy Bella, huh?

"Hmm, what can I say? I can't keep away from you." What a succinct answer that was; I felt like slow-clapping in its appreciation.

"Why didn't you finish the job… the last time?" It was a hazardous question, where I was just goading him to kill me, but I couldn't help myself from asking. That curiosity and cat situation, you know.

"Oh, didn't I? How can you say what job is to be finished? You have no idea, Kitten." His eyes bore into mine, and _shit_, I'd be lying if I said I wasn't getting involuntary tingles between my legs. He was drawing me into his hypnotic gaze, and my body was responding to the memories it incited.

That's why I pried my eyes away from his ruby red ones. It was too intimate a gaze, too close for comfort.

"It was pretty clear as to what you wanted that night. You nearly killed me." I tried to speak in a detached manner, but my voice weakened as I said the last sentence.

"So 'nearly' is the operative word here? Oh, but killing you wasn't high on my list of activities that night," he countered, brushing his fingertips on the back of my hands. I jerked them away. "And let me tell you, your pet dog's interference had nothing to do with it."

His words jogged my memory about his verbal diarrhea that night, where he simply couldn't shut it off, even though it nearly shrunk my libido. His twenty-question routine was annoying as fuck. Like, who wants to be reminded of their ex in the middle of a fuckathon? What was that about? I was thoroughly pissed then, and I'd have dumped his tight ass right then and there if it weren't for his unrelenting grip on me.

"Jacob's gonna whip your ass," I ground out, irritation finally winning over apprehension.

If anything, his grin only widened. "Don't you think he and his mongrels have been given plenty of chances for attempting that? Alas, he has always failed and will continue to fail. And for all you know, he might get _his_ ass whipped if he's not careful."

His confidence in trouncing Jacob was commendable, and to be honest, I did fear for the well-being of the wolf pack. Edward had easily gotten past them in the past, so there was every chance that he could harm one of them as well. The guy was like a ninja on steroids.

"You don't know him," I retorted, foolishly stubborn in my attempt to sting him.

I cowered back into my seat as he closed in, his face only inches away from mine. He was doing this weird inhale-exhale thing, and I was kind of expecting him to name my perfume already.

"Do you really think you're in a position to threaten me?" His sweet, honey breath surrounded me, lulling my mind away from this menace of a situation.

"Wh-What do you want from me?" I asked with a frustrated, resigned groan. It was a valid query, after all.

"That is a very curious question, Kitten," he sighed, leaning back. "I'm trying to find the right answer to that."

I fucking hated his monikers for me. _Kitten, really?_

He spun my chair around and pulled my shoulders back, just the way I was sitting prior to his rude interruption. I resisted at first, but his strong hands thwarted my will.

"Bella," he spoke my actual name for a change, tickling my ear with his cool breath, "you're so tense, I'm afraid you'll snap if I don't relax these tight tendons." He rubbed gently along my tightly wound neck muscles, and just like that, they relaxed under his touch.

Why, oh, why was I so susceptible to his manipulations?

"Why don't you leave me alone?" I moaned in pure relief as his hands eased my pain. "Don't you have anything else to do?"

He chuckled—which sounded more like a rumble—but didn't answer me. His teasing was spiking my rage.

"Can't you see my distress here?" I tried to wrench myself free from his grasp, and in doing so, I suffered goddamn whiplash. "Argh! Crazy fucker!"

"Shh… you do know that your good friend Alice is working late as well, right down the hall?" he warned me, effectively freezing me in my place.

Oh God… now he was threatening me by using my friend as a pawn.

"Don't… don't you touch her!" I glared back at him, my hand gingerly resting on my hurting neck.

"You're so absurd, it's kind of endearing." He smirked, lifting me up from my seat as though I were nothing but a feather. "I obviously don't want to touch tiny Alice, at all. I'm kind of more interested in her annoying, yet sassy friend."

It didn't escape me that he knew a little too much about my friends than a stranger should know. Tiny Alice, huh?

"So you're here for me," I stated the obvious, jutting my chin out boldly. "Why the hell did it take you so long, eh?"

Seriously, was as he hibernating for these two and a half months?

"You're so silly and aggravating. You were enjoying the massage, right, you unappreciative human?" He drew me in his arms and dumped my ass on my worktable.

Ah, he was trying to dodge my question.

"Maybe I'd be more amenable if you'd fucking tell me what you want, or why you're here?" I grumbled, my limbs flailing like a rag doll around his solid frame.

"I'm just trying to loosen up your stiff muscles, we can talk afterwards."

Despite my suspicions, I couldn't resist his persuasion. Though, why he would offer me relief was a mystery to me.

Edward adjusted his shoulder, allowing me to fit my head in the crook of his neck as he resumed my back massage. One would think that we were embracing each other, like long lost lovers or some shit. It was a tricky situation, and I didn't trust him one bit, but God help me if his hands weren't magic.

"I don't like this," I sputtered, my eyes rolling back in pleasure as he assuaged the pain in my tired muscles.

He pushed his cold hands underneath my top, evoking several shudders from my body.

"Too cold for comfort?" he chuckled in my ear, rubbing circles all along my back.

No, it wasn't too cold, it was enjoyable, considering the ace heating system of my office.

"No, and I wasn't talking about your frigid fingers or your massage skills, though they do come in handy," I spoke with a deliberate huskiness, just to fuck with him as he was fucking with me.

"Then?" he asked, his voice low and throaty.

I pushed at his broad, yummy—never mind—shoulders and dared to lock my eyes with his deadly, hypnotic ones. They were a darker shade of ruby now.

"What's going on in that bizarre mind of yours?" he demanded, a hint of irritation entering his otherwise pleasant tone.

"I'm trying to decipher you," I replied, biting my lip in anticipation as his hands played with my bra strap, "namely, your true motivations, since your instinctive ones aren't applicable anymore." Having been observing him for a few minutes, I knew that he wasn't here to kill me, for he would have done it by now if that were his object.

His hands left my back and curved along my abdomen to rest just below my breasts. My breathing picked up.

"Ah, smart kitten." He nudged my nose with his, his eyelids closing as though he was saying a prayer. "How I'd love to see the workings of your brain."

I stared at him, wondering what the fuck I was feeling in that moment. It was Twilight Zone-ish weird, where I was swimming in odd, rather dangerous territory.

My hands were itching to do something, either to punch him in the face or to just grab his hair and pull him toward my hungry lips. I was so near to crossing that hazardous line again, where my internal warning system shut down, overpowered by my horny instincts.

One of my legs, with a mind of its own, curved up and around his hip. I was certain that my shoe heel was bumping somewhere against his ass. I was surprised at my own audacity.

A tiny shiver ran through his body while his nostrils flared. It was turning me on in a strange way, watching him lose his semblance of control and superiority over me.

Edward groaned and muttered something under his breath, which sounded like random gibberish. Honestly, I didn't care what he was saying because then his lips pushed against mine, removing my mind from the grips of sanity.

Everything blurred then, and my brain went into overload. I didn't even have the time to loathe myself for my stupidity, namely, willingly making out with a vampire again—the same one who nearly killed me.

Oh, but he wasn't going to kill me now, I was pretty certain about that. I was counting on that assumption, actually.

Two icy hands molded around my breasts, and I hissed aloud with the stimulation. I didn't notice it, but he must have pulled down my bra cups some time when I was busy twirling my tongue around his.

His hips pressed against me, and that set everything in motion. We began dry humping like crazy rabbits, uncaring and unrelenting. Good God, I believe I was acting wilder than on Halloween, and that was saying something!

"Stop!"

It took me a while to realize that he was asking me to halt our suck-face session.

"What?" I demanded, grappling after him as he withdrew from me.

"We have to stop; your tiny friend has decided to pay you a visit." And with that, he was gone—out of my office window before I could utter a single syllable. Wow, he was so goddamn limber…

Then I heard the tapping footfalls in the distance, announcing Alice's presence in the hallway, right around my office door.

* * *

Special thanks to **Bailey**, for her last minute pinch beta reading. And as always, much love to **Dragonsexist**, who keeps my sentence and story flow together.

**For those who wanted to know if Alice is a vamp in this story. Well, as is partially clear, she is a human. What happens in future, remains in future. ;)**


	6. Chapter 6

**Disclaimer****: **I don't own Twilight, or any of its characters. But I do own my brand of Darkward. S. Meyer owns everything that's Twilight.

**Recap: **Bella goes dancing with her friends at a local club on Halloween. There, she encounters Edward, the vampire who had attacked her in high school. She tries to evade him, but is unsuccessful. Desperate for help, she calls her ex, Jacob (wolf), and ends up dancing the tango with Edward to buy more time for herself. She then tries to run away, but Edward finds her and takes her to a secluded spot. Bella, in an attempt to save herself, tries to provoke a sexual response in Edward. That ends with them getting intimate. Edward drinks her blood while they're intimate and Bella loses her consciousness. She wakes up late the next day in her room, disoriented and confused, having dreamt of her violent encounter with Edward in high school. She then remembers her night with Edward and freaks out. Edward has left her a note, indicating that he'd visit her again soon. So she waits for months, but he doesn't turn up. Then one day in late Jan, he finally turns up, at her workplace. They end up making out, which rouses the attention of Alice (Bella's friend and co-worker). Edward leaves in haste as Alice approaches Bella's chamber.

So here comes Alice...**  
**

* * *

Quickly, I jumped off the table and hid behind it, muttering a string of expletives as I tried to right myself and my clothes. There was the whooshing sound of my chamber door opening, followed by Alice's questioning voice.

"Uh, Bella?"

"Yeah?" I tried to sound casual; well, as casual as a pre-orgasmic humper could sound.

"You okay?"

"Yup." I rose from my hiding place, brandishing a pen. It was my cover-up story. "I was looking for this goddamn thing since morning. And now I find it, right under my table!"

Alice gave me a curious look, as though she was trying to gauge what was wrong with me. "Oh, alright. I thought I heard voices coming from your room."

"Voices?" _Damn! Act casual, act casual…_

"Yeah, I thought I heard a male voice along with yours." She bit her lip as she looked around, as if expecting some phantom to materialize right there. "It sounded like a confrontation. So I thought I'd check on you."

"Alice, you probably heard me talking on the speakerphone to my dad. You know how we are," I said with a shrug. "We have our differences and stuff."

Wasn't it really sick of me to bring in my dad into all this mess? Yes it was. I shuddered at the thought.

"Do you want to talk about it?" She approached me then, reaching for my hand as she sat on the edge of my table.

"Uh, not really, Alice, it isn't that heavy or anything. Just some stuff about my ex."

"Oh, yeah, you told me that your fathers are like BFFs or something."

"God, Alice, quit the high school lingo already." I rolled my eyes as I squeezed her hand in reassurance.

"Okay, so are you done here for today? 'Cause I am. Let's leave together and grab some dinner. I'm starving!" She rubbed her other hand on her tummy for emphasis. "I ate a light lunch today."

"Right, just let me get my stuff together and I'll be done for today as well. How about I meet you downstairs?" I suggested, as I made a move to collect my things.

"Okay," she agreed, hopping off the table and heading for the door. "But don't be too late. I might faint from malnutrition, and it'll be all your fault."

"God, Alice, cut the theatrics!" I sighed dramatically, which brought on her sunny smile.

"Whatever! Hurry up and get your ass moving. See ya downstairs!" She was out the door and gone within seconds.

I exhaled a real sigh then, thinking about the return of the crazy to my life.

_Dun-dun-dun, he's back! _

And it worried me that I was acting so normally around him. Like he wasn't the stuff of horror stories… like he was _human_.

Why was I so susceptible to Edward? Was I like that with him only, or was I simply a fool, in general?

Moreover, what was Edward's objective? Why was he playing this cat and mouse game with me?

I moved about the table in a flurry, my mind preoccupied with these burning questions. Turning my computer off, I shoved all of my stationary items wherever they belonged. I liked my table clean and uncluttered.

I had a borderline case of OCD.

"I miss dancing with you."

"Gah!" I nearly dropped my laptop, which I was going stuff into its bag before Edward's interruption. "You goddamn have to stop sneaking up on me!"

He merely shrugged. "Can't help it. It's in my nature."

"I don't have time for your bullshit, Edward."

"Oh, I know, you'd rather spend that time with my 'something else.'" He air quoted, leaning against the window frame.

Then there was a flash of movement.

Oh, I don't know how it happened, but suddenly, I found myself on top of him, lounging on my corner sofa. I felt dizzy from all such speedy motions.

"Wha-What are you _doing_? I have to meet Alice downstairs!" I groaned when I felt his hardness between my legs, which reminded me of the time when it was rocking inside me on that fateful All Hallow's eve.

"You shouldn't have agreed to go with her," he purred, grabbing my ass.

_Oh, I regret it too._

"Like I knew you were still lurking about." I ground my hips into him once, and then moved off him. "Like I'm going to do _this_ in my office."

"I'm sure I can persuade you to try it." He licked his lips as he stared at my neck. That was my cue to move away and fish a scarf from my office closet.

_Precautions, precautions…_

He followed my movements with hawkish eyes, smirking when he saw me wrapping the scarf around my neck.

"Edward, let's be honest here," I sighed, rubbing my temple. "I don't understand this… thing, for the lack of a better term. I'm not even sure of your intentions!"

"My intentions are in my actions." He got up and moved toward me, effectively backing me up against the wall.

"You wanted to kill me when you kidnapped me in high school." It was a statement of truth; he couldn't deny it in anyway.

"Mm-hmm," he murmured as he closed his eyes and inhaled, hovering dangerously close to my scarf covered neck. "Not really. My intent wasn't your demise, but your blood. The sweetest I have ever tasted."

I had nearly forgotten that he had already sampled my blood.

I shivered. "What about Halloween? You all but tortured me with your threats."

"But I didn't kill you that night, did I?" His lips barely caressed my cheek as he spoke, driving me to distraction. "I made you quiver, but with pleasure and not fear. You gave everything willingly, and you took as well. You surely took your part of the pleasure from me, Isabella."

_Fuck me every which way possible._

My knees wobbled a little. "Edward, I-I have to go."

Whoa, at least I managed to say that much.

He backed away immediately, his face an impassive mask. "Why don't we meet again at the same place as Halloween? We can continue our… conversation there."

Wow, he made the word 'conversation' sound so dirty.

"I'm not dancing with you again, nor are we having a '_conversation_'," I warned in earnest, using air quotes with theatrical flourish. He didn't have a copyright on air quotes. _Ha!_

"Why?" There was a spark of a challenge in his eyes. God, I say all the wrong things.

"You make me look like a bumbling mess, and you tire the hell out of me."

"Ah, but you never complain."

"I'm talking about the dance," I muttered, shifting sideways to reach for the door.

"Oh, what if I tell you that I'll make it worthwhile?" He shifted right along with me, keeping me pinned to the wall.

"I'm working my ass off these days. I don't have time for fun and frolic."

_God, give me the spine to resist._

"I've seen you going out, so don't use that busy bee card on me." One of his hands tipped my face up. "I'll be waiting this Saturday night. Come and find me."

I caught his smirk just as he turned around and flitted away to jump out the window again.

Couldn't he use the door?

I shook my head to clear my thoughts. Banish Edward from my thoughts was more like it.

As I left the office building, I wondered if he was watching me. I looked around as I reached my car, almost barreling into more than one person on the way.

Alice looked mighty pissed with me. "I can pack up and leave three times in the time you took."

"Wow, for a malnourished person, you look pretty lively," I stated sarcastically as we clambered into the car.

She grumbled wordlessly as I maneuvered the car out of the parking lot. And I couldn't help but giggle a little manically, because it's not every day that a vampire pays a visit to you at your workplace.

It was Saturday night and I was a nervous wreck.

I tried to act casual as I sipped my mocktail, sitting on the edge of the lounge nearest to the bar. Yeah, the _same_ damn lounge… you know, where I had gotten so comfy with my vampire buddy.

And as of right now, he was nowhere in sight. Was he fucking with me?

Well, if that was the case then I'd be ready with a butane torch the next time he tried to reach me.

"Can I buy you a drink?" a chocolate smooth voice whispered in my ear, coaxing goose bumps out all over my neck.

Damn, why did I never see him coming? I really needed to adjust myself to his surprise appearances.

"I already have one." I pointed to my half empty drink, barely maintaining a neutral tone.

"I'm so glad you came," he said, his voice dripping with smugness.

"Now don't look so victorious already," I snapped, not very comfortable with the fact that I had done exactly as he had expected. I had come here after all.

"I can't contain my elation." He gave me an all-knowing smirk, which made me want to smack it right off his face.

Without preamble, he sat down next to me, a little too close for my comfort. And before I could shift away, his hand slipped around my waist to hold me in place.

It was Halloween all over again.

"You aren't planning to bolt again, are you?" One of his fingers traced the underside of my breast, nearly causing a hyperventilation attack.

"Why would I do that? I'm so comfy here that I might just fall asleep," I replied with a heavy dose of sarcasm.

He was quiet for a while, leading to a very uncomfortable pause in our crossfire. I turned my head to look at him. More like, to see what the fuck was up with him.

There was a look of heavy deliberation on his face. It was funny and a little surprising, since I hadn't seen him acting like this before.

"What's the matter? Cat got your tongue?" I asked, just to fuck with him.

"Perhaps, since I feel a little out of depth here." _Wow, honesty from a vampire!_

I didn't actually believe him, as I was always wary of his ways. One second he was saying something else, and the next, he was jumping you.

"Can I help you with finding your tongue?" I was being impish, I knew, because teasing a vampire wasn't the wisest thing.

His eyes flashed, inciting a terrible need inside me to back off and maintain some distance between us. I made a move to do just that, but he wasn't having any of it. His hand remained on my waist.

"I need another drink," I said stiffly. "Care to remove your arm?"

"Tell me, and I'll buy it for you." His expression did a complete turnabout then, as he winked at me and smiled.

"Please, I can buy my own drink. And moreover, I don't like my drinks spiked." I did remember feeling smashed after drinking that rogue martini he'd bought for me on Halloween.

"You're very entertaining when you're drunk." He chuckled and lowered his head to my neck, inhaling deeply.

_Oh, enough with this bloodhound routine._

"Do I smell better as well?" I asked as his cold nose touched my neck. I tried not to jump or move or show any reaction, for that matter.

"Your scent is the most intoxicating smell to me, drunk or not drunk," he replied. "It doesn't matter as long as it's you." He groaned, sucking on the skin of my neck.

_Shit! Danger zone…_

"Edward," I gasped, pushing at his chest. "The drink… okay, you can buy me one. Just don't spike it." I needed to distract him. I couldn't let him get under my skin so easily.

Fucking finally, he let go of me and stood up, asking for my preferred poison. I chose a whimsical new one they had recently introduced.

Enjoying a rare moment of privacy, I tried to mull over the reasons behind my coming here. I had come here to have a word with him. Basically, just to tell him to fuck off and stop bothering me.

A nagging voice inside my head told me that it was all a stinking pile of bullshit.

Why had I put so much thought into dressing up, then? It certainly wasn't to ward off his attentions, since I didn't bother with covering my neck up.

I let out an exaggerated sigh.

It would be so much better if I just admitted the truth. I was, against my better judgment, attracted to him. And I didn't even want to consider what it revealed to me about myself.

Was I a masochist?

Was I suffering from some strain of Stockholm syndrome?

Was I fucking crazy?

My eyes followed him as he ordered my drink and waited for it to be mixed. He noticed my attention and gave me a lopsided grin. Needless to say, my heart fluttered, like an automatic response or some shit.

Was I undermining the threat that he represented? Even when I very well knew how deadly he could be?

Yes… yes to the fucking yes I was.

Was I so sexually deprived that I was willing to barter my life for a fuck?

As I pondered my insanity to the minutiae, my gaze inevitably zoned back in on Edward. He was tapping his fingers on the bar, seemingly in mild frustration. Apparently the bartender wasn't fast enough for him.

And, then, out of nowhere, two women came over and all but fawned over him. Wow, they had dared to approach him. Courageous women.

But then again, there was no missing his supernatural appeal as an attractive vampire. He was made to lure his prey.

That thought left a bad taste in my mouth.

I watched with a strange mix of unease and awe as Edward chatted with the women in all his congenial glory. They were gone… hook, line and sinker.

Something inside me twisted in a very disturbing way.

Before I knew it, I was already on the move. Reaching Edward didn't take any time at all; I literally plowed my way through to him.

"I was wondering what was taking you so long," I all but growled—as low as I could manage for _them_ not to hear—while I slipped against him beside the bar.

Yeah, I was so not engaging those would be morsels. I was an asshole like that, but at least I meant well.

Didn't that count?

"The bartender is slow," he replied, looking a too pleased with himself, "but his cocktail making antics are entertaining indeed."

The women giggled—fucking giggled!—then proceeded to give me an assessing glare.

I swear they looked like in-sync robots or some shit, what with their perfectly coordinated head-to-toe once over of me.

"Made new friends, I see. So very in form you are tonight," I remarked, grinning at the cyborgs. I'm sure my attempt at 'cheery' looked rather creepy.

I couldn't help it; I was standing with a vampire. Creepy comes with the territory.

Needless to say, my creepiness dampened the mood of flirtation, and the robo-chicks quit.

"What? Are you simultaneously hunting and having a chit-chat with me?" I wanted to shout this out loud, aimed right at him with my fingers clawing at his chest. But I settled with hissing.

And thumping my fist on the bar table.

"Can you fucking stop while I'm here? I don't want to see the face of your next victim! I don't even want to think about it, Goddamnit!"

This anger was actually a good thing. It kept things in perspective. I fucking latched onto this anger.

"Bella, they aren't my prey," he said slowly, as if I'd bolt if he said anything else.

Maybe I would. It was a good chance for an escape.

"Explain yourself." Nope, not gonna bolt. At all.

"I don't hunt random people going about their lives. I hunt a very specific species of humans," he replied, one brow raised as if in challenge.

"Who smell like chocolate cake to you?" I blurted, and then secretly repented it as Edward grinned in response.

Why the fuck would I remember how I smelled to him?

"No, although it's very hard not to go after you," he murmured, gazing at me with hypnotic intensity. I may have gulped in anticipation.

My drink was served then, and it broke the spell… for the time being. Secretly, I thanked the bartender for the break and drank it all too quickly.

However, I never got another chance to enquire after Edward's choice of meal amongst humans. He pulled me to the dance floor and tried every move ever performed in salsa.

Okay, maybe not _every _move, but you get the picture. We were the center of attention for the next half an hour. It would have been more than that, had I not complained of being woozy.

The man was insatiable!

"Do you only know salsa and its variations?" I asked as I lolled against him on our lounger, finally back from the dance floor. He had pulled me on his lap and I hadn't complained much.

"I know waltz, swing, and other ballroom dances. Oh, and a few country dances as well."

I turned in his lap so that I could see his face. "When did you learn?"

"A long time back," he answered with a playful smile.

I rolled my eyes at his evasiveness and emptied my glass. Yes, I was having more cocktails, the heavier ones. There's always a need for some liquid courage when you are in close proximity to a vampire.

"Do you need another one?" He tipped his head toward my empty glass.

"I don't think it'd be wise." I was speaking slowly now, so as not to slur.

I don't slur. Period.

"Do you want to leave?" His arms tightened around me as he went into bloodhound mode again.

"With or without you?" I laughed as his cold nose tickled my shoulder.

"It's up to you." His voice had grown husky. It sent pleasing tingles through my body.

Edward had very conveniently sent the ball in my court. But was it really my choice? Or was he _that_ confident about his powers of persuasion?

Naturally, I hesitated. The wheels were turning rapidly in my mind, despite my inebriation. I was more in control of myself right now than I had been on Halloween, which was pleasantly surprising.

* * *

**A/N:** I will be updating once in 10-11 days. I hope that's okay with the readers. I'm sorry for the delay in updating. It's been a frustrating and difficult year and a half for me. :(

Special thanks to _**Emavalexis**_, my beta and sounding board. :)


	7. Chapter 7

**Disclaimer****: **I don't own Twilight, or any of its characters. But I do own my brand of Darkward. S. Meyer owns everything that's Twilight.

**A/N:** In the honor of the awesomeness that was the BD trailer that was released today, I update well ahead of schedule and give you this chapter. I thought there was no better way to celebrate than this. Enjoy! (**BTW, Angry Edward in BD owns me right now**)

* * *

_"Do you want to leave?" His arms tightened around me as he went into bloodhound mode again._

_"With or without you?" I laughed as his cold nose tickled my shoulder._

_"It's up to you." His voice had grown husky. It sent pleasing tingles through my body._

_Edward had very conveniently sent the ball in my court. But was it really my choice? Or was he that confident about his powers of persuasion?_

_Naturally, I hesitated. The wheels were turning rapidly in my mind, despite my inebriation. I was more in control of myself right now than I had been on Halloween, which was pleasantly surprising._

* * *

Before I could respond, Edward leaned in and looked straight into my eyes. It looked like he wanted to say something, but was hesitant.

"Bella." He spoke softly, curling my hair behind my ear. "I should apologize."

_Huh?_

"What?" I obviously tend toward eloquence in a state of drunken surprise.

He looked damned uncomfortable as he tried to form his next sentence. "I… uh… well, I didn't intentionally. God, this sounds so disturbing."

"Go on, whatever you're getting at." I raised my eyebrows in wonder as I watched him mumble. Talk about awkward.

"The bruises," he finally spit out. "I didn't do that intentionally. I didn't want to mark you. I just… didn't realize when I was losing control of my strength."

It looked as though he'd swallowed a bag of nails. I suppose he wasn't used to apologizing for his actions.

"Oh? I thought you knew what you were doing there. What with those twenty question rounds you inflicted on me while we were…"—I waved my hands in the air for the lack of a better way to emphasize my point—"doing, uh, you know what."

_Sex! It's SEX, Bella! When did you become so uncomfortable with the word?_

"Well, I needed something to distract myself from your blood," he replied sheepishly, appearing ill at ease.

"Wow, you seem to be doing pretty well right now, or did my blood change its composition in winter?" Heavy sarcasm.

"No it's still as delicious. But the situation is not the same," he sighed, looking away. "I was very… impassioned at that time. It translates into heightened senses and a spike in thirst."

"You wanted to bite me." Well, it wasn't rocket science.

"Yes, very much, but that would've ended badly."

"But you did bite me," I said, remembering the smell of blood along with a jabbing pain. He was sucking on my neck… and that was the last memory I had before passing out that night. "You drank my blood."

"I didn't bite you; it was my fingernail that did the job. And I didn't drink much, only about a pint. Not enough to kill you, but enough to settle my senses for a while." He groaned as he rubbed his forehead. "Remembering it is making me thirsty now."

"Fucking and feeding go hand in hand for you?" I asked, because not only were his eyes betraying his increasing thirst, I could also feel the pressure of something poking into my ass.

"No!" he growled, closing his eyes for a few seconds. "I don't mix sex with food. Usually."

"Ah, but there's an exception." I don't know why, but I wanted to goad him.

"You are the only exception."

"Should I feel delighted?" I smiled with an affected creepiness.

And just when I was beginning have my share of fun at his expense, he stood up, dragging me along with him. I swayed with the sudden vertical movement, but he kept me upright.

"Wha—"

"We're leaving."

That arrogant prick! He didn't even let me finish my sentence!

"You're an asshole and a dick. Yay, you have all the material to fuck yourself! Why bother with me?" I spat at him as he dragged me toward the exit.

"Never a dull moment with you, Bella." He chuckled, backing me into a dark corner once we were out of the building.

Our noses rubbed together as we stared into each other's eyes. No, not staring on both sides. I was full-on glaring.

"You sure do have a split personality, you know that?" I muttered, crossing my arms.

"It's convenient." He moved forward to crowd me further into the back wall of the building. My back touched the ice-cold bricks and I shivered.

"Fuck!" I sprang away from the wall and into Edward. He was just as cold. So I pushed him away, or at least tried to. "My coat! I forgot my coat upstairs."

"Why didn't you tell me when we were leaving?" he asked, all antsy and irritated now.

"Because you didn't even give me a chance!" The cold of outside was now seeping into my limbs, leading to a series of uncontrollable shivers.

In a flash—before I could even register what he was doing—he took off his jacket and folded it around me. I felt so small inside it… so small that he buttoned it up halfway without even needing me to slip my arms in its sleeves.

"Wait here," he told me, looking toward the club building, "I'll be right back with your coat."

And then he was gone.

I exhaled loudly, kicking at the grit beneath my shoes.

Okay, here I was, waiting for him. So where was I going from here onwards? I didn't know what he had in mind, but a repeat of Halloween wasn't on mine. I merely wanted to tell him that he should stop bothering me.

I wanted a truce, an end to his hunting of me.

A scraping noise behind my back caught my attention. I turned around to see a blond man cross the street. I didn't see his face, but his movements betrayed a grace that was eerily similar to Edward's.

Was he… was he… a vampire? I shuddered, my gaze following his every movement. He didn't turn around for me to see his face, so I couldn't be sure.

"Okay, let's leave."

I must've jumped a foot in the air, because Edward started laughing at me.

"You're such a prick," I growled, still shuddering from the shock of his sudden appearance. "Can't you just make a little noise as a forewarning or some shit?"

"Like a secret handshake or password?" he asked, still amused at my expense. "_Ping_? _Ka-boom_? Or something more dramatic like… _Open Sesame_?"

"Laugh all you want, asshole." I began to unbutton his jacket, but he stopped me.

"Keep it on, it's warm now. Your coat isn't. You can return it to me once we reach your home." He looked dead serious then, all traces of humor gone.

"You're coming with me?" I wanted to smack myself. Of course he was coming with me. He wanted something from me. Otherwise he'd not have engaged me for so long.

And for now, I _wanted_ him to come with me. I was just a little nervous after seeing that stranger across the street.

Yeah, now _I_ felt '_safe_' with _him_. Wonders would never cease.

Edward was staring at me, his expression one of unease and suspicion. "I wouldn't blame you if didn't want me to come with you. But I'd prefer to drive you home all the same."

"Why?" I narrowed my eyes at him, wondering whether I should ask about the blond guy or not.

"You're drunk, for starters," he replied in a haughty tone, making me want to smack him. "Also, it's more convenient for me to simply take you to my car rather than calling for a cab."

"Even to my _drunk_ brain, you sound illogical." He had an agenda, but why wasn't he being open about it? Why all this beating about the bush?

"Lets go, we'll discuss about it on our way." He led the way, walking briskly, while I followed begrudgingly.

His car was… well, sleek and fast and stunning. Just like him.

It wasn't the silver sedan of our high school days. It was black and sporty, with an almost mythical feel to it.

"You must have had a lot of money stashed away to buy this beast," I commented casually as I slid into the passenger seat. "I mean, it's not like you need the money for anything else… like buying food and stuff."

He took a while to reply, busying himself with revving the engine. "I have a person I trust who handles my money. No big deal."

He didn't deny my allusion, and that was fine with me. I don't even know why I bothered asking about the nitty-gritty of his life. Or non-life, whatever.

All I wanted to know, seriously, was what he wanted from me. And I had planned to ask him about it during the drive home.

Alas, my plans didn't come to fruition, because I was too fucking distracted with fear. Yes, fear of ending up dead in an accident, because he was driving like a loon. _Should've remembered about his crazy driving…_

I was so distracted by his risky car maneuvers that I didn't even realize it when we finally reached my home.

Edward waited for me, patiently, while I got my shit together. Finally, after a moment spent forcing myself to calm down, I stumbled out of his car. He followed me right up to my apartment door.

"I'm never ever… going to take a ride… in that beast again," I grumbled between shivers as I attempted to unlock the door.

"So are you open to taking a ride on this beast?" he asked, pointing at himself. _Oh, give me a break._

I rolled my eyes. "You're _so_ original with your pick-up lines."

"You know, it's kind of amusing that you're more scared of my driving… than my very nature." He leaned against the doorframe as I fumbled with my keys.

_'I'm plenty scared of anything regarding you and your kind,'_ I wanted to retort, but my pride was getting in the way.

"Angela isn't home yet?" Ah, of course, he knew about her.

"No, she's staying with Ben for the weekend." I don't know why I felt so compelled to tell him the truth. I could always blame the alcohol in my system, but I knew it wasn't the culprit. "These days, she's almost always at Ben's on weekends."

My reply seemed to perk him up. I resisted rolling my eyes again.

The lock finally gave way, but before I could push the door open, Edward pulled me back.

"Bella, I want to tell you something." He traced the line of my jaw with his index finger. "But I don't even know how to articulate it."

His touch was fire on my skin. Until now, I hadn't realized how much I craved it.

"I thought your kind had the sort of brains that rivaled supercomputers." I tried to look anywhere but at him. It was a given that the moment I locked eyes with him, it'd be my undoing.

I'd end up jumping him. Just like our two previous encounters.

"I suppose you can guess how out of depth I am, then, when I can't even function at my bare minimum level." That wicked finger of his reached my lips and slowly pried them apart. It was popsicle-cold, and without thinking, I automatically took it into my mouth.

Edward groaned, ducking his head to level it with mine. There was no way to avoid his eyes now.

"I need to kiss you again, Bella, or I'll go stark raving mad," he whispered, our lips a mere hairsbreadth away.

"Well, how very mannerly of you to ask me beforehand," I teased, holding on to the last vestiges of my sarcasm. "That was totally expected."

"Silly Bella, I didn't ask if I could kiss you." His eyes flashed with wicked promise as he gave me his most evil smirk. "I was just warning you."

It happened then, like the inevitable drop of the other shoe. His lips, cold and delicious, pressed against mine. And it wasn't merely a kiss, it was a seizure… a hijack… of everything I had a hold on.

His scent, his taste, his whole being surrounded me. And still, there were parts of me that craved him all the more. A kiss wasn't enough, a touch wasn't enough.

So I pulled him inside my apartment with an angry yank. That broke our kiss with a loud smack. I knew my lips were going to look bee-stung in the morning, but that didn't stop me from reaching for another bruising kiss.

"Take your damn clothes off, now!" I hollered, pulling myself free from his restrictive jacket.

His shirt was gone in a blur. I latched onto him without delay, in a hurry to press my lips and hands to his newly exposed skin.

"Bella, damn, slow down a bit," he growled, grabbing my hands as they trailed toward the promised land inside his jeans.

He seemed to freeze in place then, still clutching my hands. His eyes glazed over, as if he were suddenly far away elsewhere, not in my apartment. A chill settled in the air around us, heavy as lead. It took me a second too long to realize that something was off.

"I need to go," he muttered abruptly, letting go of my hands.

I slumped backwards until I leaned against the hallway wall. "What? What's wrong?"

Edward shook his head and pulled his shirt back on. "Nothing. I just have to leave. I forgot about an errand I had to run. I just remembered it."

_Huh? Can a vampire ever forget about anything? I don't think so._

A rapid fury was bubbling inside me. I couldn't even register my surroundings when I was intimate with him, and he had the ability to think about random errands while he sucked my face.

Vampire abilities be damned; I was offended!

"You're leaving me, just like that, because of some stupid task you want to complete right about now?" I clenched my fists into tight balls as my anger got the better of me. "Because it can't wait till tomorrow?"

Edward backed away, reaching the door in a microsecond. "Bella, it's important. I can't explain, but I have to leave right now."

Then he left, for real.

And I was left hanging, high and dry.

I vowed to buy a butane torch ASAP. Because Edward Cullen needed a good lesson about not testing my tolerance.

A week after the _vampire-got-cold-feet_ episode, I was on a usual, mundane trip to the grocery store. Alice came along, insisting that she needed to stock up on some veggies as well.

Strange, since there was a bigger grocery store near her home. Near, as in only two blocks away. Oh well, Alice had her quirks.

"I'm almost done here, Alice, what about you?" I enquired as I moved my cart into the checkout lane.

"Me too," she replied, holding up a bag with two measly carrots and a cabbage. "So, are you headed for home after this?"

"Uh, no, actually I have to hit the kitchenware store." I tried to make it sound really mundane, no vampires and shit involved. No need for Alice to know that what I wanted to buy was actually not going to be used in the kitchen.

"What do you need?"

"A butane torch." I watched her reaction carefully, feeling paranoid.

To be honest, the way she bit her lip and glanced sideways, it looked as if she was in on my secret. That made my skin prickle with goosebumps.

"You're into crème brulee?" she finally asked, eyebrows quirking up to show her surprise. It didn't look natural at all.

"Yeah, it's all the rage these days, so I want to try it out." _Look normal… look normal…don't freak out…_

"But it can be dangerous, Bella." She looked me straight in the eye then, as if she were trying to relay something important. "I know that sometimes we want to take risks just for the thrill. But there's a critical point in that, and disasters happen when we surpass it."

"Alice, it's just a kitchen utility." There was no way she was talking about crème brulee torch.

"Yeah, but you're still going to play with fire. Not healthy at all, Bella."

_Crickets…_

I was stunned, and I didn't know what to say for a few numb moments. Thankfully, the line cleared fast and I had something to preoccupy myself with.

_Load the groceries… don't look at her… load the groceries…_

"Will you be happy if I say that I won't use it unless I'm really desperate?" I could talk in riddles as well. "And that I'll keep it on minimum flame?"

Alice sighed and shrugged. "I was just warning you. The rest is up to you. It's just that I know that you're sometimes sort of clumsy with stuff."

Okay, now I was doubting my own instincts, because she looked absolutely innocent about the whole warped conversation we just had.

It was possible that my mind was playing tricks on me. Because I had been thinking too much about Edward in the last week. And it was possible that I subconsciously connected everything to him.

Alice didn't hover afterwards, leaving me to my own devices as I headed for the kitchenware store. It seemed so odd, the way she'd been so adamant on accompanying me to the grocery store. And then she all but lectured me about the perils of a butane torch and flounced away. It'd be an understatement to say that her behavior was weird.

I shook my head and proceeded toward the store, still determined to buy that torch.

* * *

**My update schedule remains at 10 days, this chapter notwithstanding.** :P

Special thanks to _**Emavalexis**_, for smoothing out the irregularities in my writing. :)


	8. Chapter 8

**Disclaimer****: **I don't own Twilight, or any of its characters. But I do own my brand of Darkward. S. Meyer owns everything that's Twilight.

**A/N:** Slight change of plans for the updates. It'll be weekly now, because another crucial competitive exam was announced yesterday, for which I have to study soon, so I'm trying to dish out the chapters as soon as I can. I want to complete this story soon.

IN ADDITION TO THAT, I've been having issues in replying to reviews for the last chapter. I'm sorry if anyone feels I'm ignoring their review. I'll try and respond here for a few queries after the chapter ends. Thanks a lot ppl, I love these precious reviews and I'm greedy to get moar!

* * *

_Tap tap tap…_

I groaned and turned over.

_Tap tap tap…_

A thread of awareness pulled at me, nudging me slowly but assuredly out of sleep. I resisted, but it was incessant.

I finally opened my heavy eyes, groggy with broken sleep. It was 2:30 A.M according to my bedside clock, a very inconvenient time to wake up.

Wondering why my sleep was disturbed at such an hour, I sat up and tried to get my bearings.

That's when I noticed a shadowy movement right outside my window. All traces of sleep were gone from my system right at that moment. I didn't know whether to scream or to hide under my bed and call 911.

A figure crouched outside with an easy grace, balanced on the narrow ledge of my window. And then I heard a knock, clear as a bell in the silence of the night.

_Tap tap tap…_

"Bella, it's just me, open the damn window." Even if I didn't want to, there was no way I couldn't recognize this voice, no matter how muffled. I sighed at my pathetic eagerness.

"Oh, look, it's the errand boy!" I exclaimed in an overly affected British accent.

An irritated sigh was all that came in response from beyond the window.

"I'm afraid I don't entertain guests after midnight," I grumbled, sinking back into my bed, "especially when they come knocking at my bedroom windows."

"I'm sorry."

"That's all that you have to say?" I pulled the covers up to my eyes, just to emphasize how unwelcome he was. "If there's ever going to be a good time for confessions, Edward, it's now. Just say it and be done with it."

"What exactly do you want me to say? I said I'm sorry. I wasn't trying to mess with you, I really had to go."

I didn't respond for a few seconds, and that was enough to make him bang his palm against the thin glass of my window. It shuddered violently. It was a miracle that it didn't shatter.

"Bella, if you don't open the window within the next ten seconds, I'm going to break it."

"How very like you to blackmail me." I pushed the covers aside and stumbled toward the window.

As per his wishes, I opened it and let him in. Didn't have much of a choice there, did I? I didn't want shattered glass scattered all over my room.

"What do you want?" I asked, my patience wearing thin.

"I don't want you pissed," he replied, picking me up and carrying me to the bed. "I want to continue what we were doing before I left that night. And I'd very much like not to be subjected to your grilling."

"Nope, not happening. You fucking tell me what errand it was, or you fucking leave." I pushed against his chest as I moved away to the far corner of my bed.

"Okay, but not right now," he grunted, rubbing his eyes. He looked so human in that moment, it just about deceived me. "I'll put forth all the gory details for you, but later."

I skipped away from the bed as he reached for me. "Why later? And what do you think will happen before that later?"

"Later, because I need a break from that shit," he replied, looking more and more exasperated by the second. "And don't act as though you don't know what will happen. _You_ were ordering me to take my clothes off the last time I was here."

"Yes, and that was a whole damn week ago!" I yelled, all the pent up sexual frustration translating into anger. "You can't expect me to take you back with a non-explanation about some contrived errand."

"Contrived? How'd you know it was contrived?"

"I know because… I just _know_!" Lame as it was, I held onto my part of the argument.

He looked weary all of a sudden, as if this argument was literally draining all his energy. "Bella, can't we just go back to where we left off?"

"Not when I'm so agitated." I crossed my arms and stared at him mulishly. "It's not like an on-off button, Edward."

"Then give me a chance to un-agitate you," he offered, a sly smile suddenly lightening his face. His mood swings were legendary.

I rolled my eyes. "All men are the same, whether human or not."

"Oh? Just how many have you known?" He lay back and stretched himself out on my bed. He looked like a big, playful cat, deceptively friendly and inviting.

"Just enough to draw this conclusion."

"Your life is very interesting, you know?" he continued, resting his hands beneath his head. His languid posture spoke of unhurried repose, but I knew it was a sham.

"How is my life interesting?" I sat down on a nearby chair, keeping my distance.

"The variety in your choice of men is staggering." He laughed loudly, knowing it would drive me up the wall. "A dog, a vampire, and I suppose a few humans were in the mix as well."

"And you're so thrilled to be included in such company, aren't you? Just a number…"

That shut him up nicely. But the resulting silence didn't make me feel any better about this situation. He was crowding my bed and there was no way I'd be able to sleep if he kept up with this bullshit conversation.

And then, inadvertently, my thoughts shifted toward the litany of women that _he_ must have been intimate with. It just served to agitate me further.

"Get off my bed!" I ground out, almost shaking with a sudden, _green_ rage. "And go away. I want to sleep in peace."

At first he didn't move an inch, but then he muttered something and leapt off my bed in a single, lithe move. "You're being unnecessarily difficult, Isabella."

I hated the way he used my full name. It made me feel like a little girl being chastised by an elder.

I opened my mouth to retort, but he stopped me by raising a hand. "No need to rile yourself up into a mad frenzy. I'm leaving."

"Thank you very much, how very kind of you," I said sarcastically, wanting to have the last word even as I saw him jump out my window.

At last, I was alone.

I went to close the window and discovered that the bolt was now twisted at an odd angle, which rendered it useless. _No prizes for guessing how that happened._

I grumbled and slammed it shut. It was a good thing that I lived a couple of stories above the ground, otherwise I'd have been open to robbery or theft. Obviously, the fucker who ruined my window lock knew that.

Still seething, I went back to my bed, which, I then discovered, was now rich with Edward's scent. Against my wishes, my olfactory senses perked up. I inhaled greedily. Alas, rather than drawing comfort from the smell of him on my sheets, it only served to leave me feeling empty and lonely.

_Argh!_

What was he _doing_ to me?

Sleep was a bitch that night, and I found myself staring into random space till the sun came out. Needless to say, my whole weekend was ruined. Again.

* * *

"_The mysterious death of a car mechanic may just bring forth some clues regarding the other murders that have shaken the Central Seattle area. It seems that the deceased, Bradley Shultz, had in his possession personal effects that belonged to a number of recent rape and murder victims. Authorities haven't officially released any further information on the case, but speculation has already begun…_"

"Angie, I know I sound like a total bitch, but please lower the volume. I have to send some important emails," I called out from the dining room, which I had turned into my work area after dinner.

That news piece was giving me the willies.

"Okay B, but this is really important," she called back from her perch on the living room couch. "I think this guy was the rapist they've been looking for for the last couple of weeks or so. I bet it was revenge. A la _Eye for an Eye_."

"You and your theories," I muttered, trying to think back on what I was planning to write in my email to a retailer before Angela distracted me. "But I can't say I won't be happy if that turns out to be true."

"Yeah, I'd probably want to send flowers to whoever did this good deed."

"_…the investigators aren't likely to have an easy job of it since the body, discovered only two days ago, is charred from head to toe, and is believed to have been decomposing at the deceased's home for more than a week. On the face of it, it looks like a possible kitchen accident, but the investigators are not ruling out foul play…_"

"Do you think it could be suicide?" I enquired after a while, still listening to the reporter blabbering away on the evening news. "Like the guy developed a guilty conscience or some shit, eh?"

"I find that highly improbable." She shifted and turned back to face me. "Such people don't change their way of thinking. They usually vehemently justify their actions in their heads. At least that's what I have figured out by reading a few past cases of similar crimes."

I shrugged and returned to my work, which was killing my neck muscles again. And that was reminding me of Edward… again.

It seemed that Edward had become Rome. All the roads and paths of my thought process always led to him in the end. There was no reprieve, only an ensuing sense of frustration.

Finally, Angela turned off the idiot box and went to putter around in the kitchen. "Want some iced Earl Grey? I'm in the mood for some bergamot."

"Sure, that'd be great, Angie, you're my star."

_Bergamot_… it was one of the undercurrents of Edward's scent.

It had taken me days to identify a few of the subtle undertones of his essence. Some I could figure out, like honey, cloves, and something woody—like cedar, and of course, bergamot. But the rest was all uniquely Edward. Nothing else could compare.

I was a pathetic moron; that was a glaring fact. And dwelling on it made me feel even more pathetic, so I quickly forced my thoughts in a different direction.

"So are you writing something on this case?" I asked, watching Angela as she dipped the tea bags into the kettle of bowling water.

"Not yet, but I really want to. Though I wonder if my boss will be thrilled with me writing about my theories." She crossed her arms and exhaled heavily. "I mean, the case is still raw, and I want to work on it, but my experience is limited. That would be a major roadblock."

"But if they don't let you handle such cases, then how are you going to gain any experience?" I wondered aloud. "Isn't that kinda ass backwards?

"I know, it drives me crazy, too. But I can't help it. It's the way things are. I'll need a few more years on the job to be in a position to write about my own views on certain subjects."

"But you're the proverbial prodigy in the pack, Angie," I argued, pissed on my friend's behalf. "Your own boss predicts a bright future for you. Why else would he have hired you so young?"

She colored a bit at my compliment and giggled. "You say the sweetest things, B, but I think I have my job cut out for me here and can't move ahead of it prematurely."

I rolled my eyes and laughed with her. "Excuse me? Have you ever truly known me? I'm anything but sweet, hon."

She guffawed at my words and poured the tea. Its heady aroma hit me at full force, and I couldn't fight the sensual imagery it brought to mind. Yeah, that was my Pavlovian response to anything that reminded me of Edward.

Angela's phone beeped—it was probably Ben—as she settled beside me with our glasses filled to the brim. I grabbed mine and took a few gulps.

"It's Ben," Angela murmured affectionately. Her expression brightened as she read whatever was in the text. "Just wishing me a good night's sleep."

"You considering his offer to move in?" I asked as nonchalantly as possible.

She shifted in her seat as she replied to him, clearly buying time for her response to me. And then all she gave me was a noncommittal, "Uh-hum."

It wasn't the first time that she behaved this way when this topic came up.

It was clear that she wanted to move in with Ben, but feared that I would take it as a personal slight. Where she got that ridiculous idea I had yet to find out. It could have been due to the fact that we had always shared a place, in college and afterwards. Changing that now was perhaps like breaking a tradition, and I supposed she didn't know how I might react to it.

"Angie, I personally think that you should take him up on it. Though we share the rent and I'm not gonna push you out of this apartment at any cost," I assured her. "It's just… it might be time. He's a genuine guy, and he really adores you. If you shoot him down now, it may reflect badly on your intentions about him."

"I… well, I really care about him as well. But I feel like I'm leaving you behind for a guy." She looked me in the eye then, her guilt apparent. "Neither of us has ever done that. It's a big leap for me, and I don't know if I should do it, honestly."

I drank the rest of my tea in one go while I prepared my speech in support of our unflinching friendship. "Angie, just get it out of your head that you'll somehow abandon me if you go ahead and have a life with Ben. I mean, we're not gonna stay together forever anyway. Someday, I hope, I'll also find someone worth settling down with, and I know that you'll be there to cheer me on. I know that we've stayed together like industrial glue since high school, but I say we gotta make some concessions for the guys in our lives, no?"

Wow, that was a long-ass speech.

"But you don't have anyone in your life right now, B. And I don't like the thought of leaving you alone, not when there's some serious crime problem afoot."

"I'll be fine," I argued, knowing that the building security here did a fine job of keeping creepers out. Well, at least the _living_ kind. I almost giggled at the thought of saying _that_ in Edward's face. "There hasn't been any trouble in this area. I don't think need worry. And moreover, the guy causing all this trouble is supposedly dead, no?"

"It's still a theory!" she protested, her eyes pleading with me to let her finish. "And it's not just about this one instance. You nearly always attract some kinda trouble. Remember that time in high school, when a bear attacked you while you were walking back home? And then Tyler's van… I'm sure it'd have taken you out had Jake not been there!"

I cringed twice during her tirade. _Bear, you say? I say a poor bear couldn't hold a candle to the 'thing' that had attacked me. Oh, and can we skip the topic of my ex, please?_

"Yes, and I'm forever indebted to Jacob for saving my ass the umpteenth time," I said in a bitter, thankless tone. "Maybe that's why he dumped me. I was such a liability."

"Oh, Bella, I didn't mean it that way." She suddenly looked very contrite and uneasy. "I'm not saying that you're a liability. Just that I care too much for you, and if I leave you, I think I'll always be fretting about your safety."

"Okay, Angie, I take my words back. I _am_ going to push you out of here if you don't take Ben up on his offer." I gave her a look that said there was to be no more debate on the topic of '_poor, clumsy Bella needs a guard._'

"Oh B, I know that you just want to be rid of me so that you can bring hot guys over and have fun with them." She feigned a sullen pout, which totally ruined my attempt at glaring. "But I suppose I'm too good a friend to not leave then, since you deserve some fun."

I stuck my tongue out at her petulantly. "Pfft, and here I thought you'd be unable to guess."

She laughed just at me. "But really, B, you need to unwind now and then," she switched to another topic of major discomfort for me. "Just something unserious and no-strings attached."

"Not gonna happen. I'm a frigid bitch like that." I tried to look anywhere but at her, because knowing her, I knew what was coming next…

"You know, I still wonder what you did to Cullen that night," she snorted suddenly. "I never saw him again afterwards. Did you even dance with him or did you just shoot him down and scare him into hiding?"

My hunches never let me down.

"We actually won that contest, I think I told you," I explained in a hurry, as if washing evidence of committing a crime from my hands. "And I didn't do anything to make him run for the hills."

_Oh, Angie, if only you knew what _he_ did to me…_

"Whatever, B, I say you missed some real fine ass right there. God, if I may say so myself. He's the dreamiest male specimen if there was ever one to exist."

"Ben might not appreciate your gushing about another man," I scolded, though my insides tingled with the truth of her words. I had sampled more of him than she could ever imagine.

"C'mon, it's not like I had ever _had_ the courage to actually hit on him." Angela rolled her eyes. "He was so intimidating back in Forks. Nobody had the guts to actually ask him out. I wonder why that is, when he seemed so genuinely nice that night at the club."

"I think he was that typical emo-goth kid in high school," I explained in all snarkiness. "The kind that has massive mood swings and deviant fantasies about death and depression."

Ha! I so wished that he were here to listen to this.

"Fuck off, B, you didn't even speak a word to him at school," Angela exclaimed, adamant in her defense of Edward even as she was trying to suppress her amusement. "And he left Forks just months after you moved here. What do you know about the Cullens, anyway? Did you even get to see the others?"

"Nope, but I can't say I regret the missed opportunity. I bet they're all creepy like that." I was actually kind of curious now to see whether the other two Cullen men were anything like Edward.

Angela swatted my arm playfully. "Don't you berate the pretty!"

We both giggled away like teenage girls for quite some time. I went a step further with my snark and suggested that perhaps Edward was a Stepford guy, improved to perfection by his uncle, Dr. Carlisle Cullen.

"The hot Doc must've done lots of stuff to himself as well," Angela said, feeding in to my crazy theories. "Remember that time Lauren faked an ankle sprain just to see him?"

More laughter ensued.

I made up a few more silly speculations about the Cullens, just to humor Angela. She didn't deserve the burden of knowing their dirty little secret. That was all for me.

When we finally called it a night, I felt much lighter than before. I had channeled my stress and frustration into ridicule, and damn, it felt good! The only other thing I needed was a punching bag, with Edward's picture on it.

* * *

**Next update will be on 27th September.**

Special thanks to _**Emavalexis**_, my beta extraordinaire. :)

_**FAQs**_

_When will I update Monster's Serenade?_

I've put it up in my profile as well, I'll be updating MS in Jan 2012. I lost a lot of crucial background data for that story in my comp crash, so I have start from scratch again. Which needs time. :(

_Is Alice a vampire?_

I think there are enough hints to find that out in the story itself. But no, she's a human.

_Who is the blond guy?_

It will be revealed soon. Have patience :)


	9. Chapter 9

**Disclaimer****: **I don't own Twilight, or any of its characters. But I do own my brand of Darkward. S. Meyer owns everything that's Twilight.

**A/N:** **_Wait, an update on 26th instead of 27th? What?_** Um yeah, its officially the 27th in my part of the world. The date has turned. lol

Enjoy the chapter. It's a bit longer than usual. :)

* * *

"Bella, I need you to brief me on the meetings you had yesterday. And bring all the custom designs to me. I want to see if there's any commercial potential in that."

I rolled my eyes in irritation as my boss spoke to me on the intercom. "Yes, Christy, I'll be in your office in a few."

"Yeah, and be sure to focus on the important clients when whipping out the final pieces. I hope you do your position justice," she sniped and then killed the com. She could be a real bitch at times.

Needless to say, I went to her, like a slave, to bring her up to speed on the goddamn meetings. By the time she finished interrogating me, I was mentally exhausted and in dire need of coffee. And it wasn't even close to lunchtime.

I wanted to go online and make an FML post.

Thankfully, the coffee wasn't hard to come by, so that placated me for the time-being. I chugged it down while I worked on another project, _The Green Collection_. Clearly, the creative team behind collection naming was slacking. I made a mental note to alert Alice about it, and hopefully get that damn generic name changed.

Oh, I understood what it was trying to say, that it was all environment friendly and shit. But that didn't mean it should sound like a million other environmentally friendly collections launched to date. How would it catch potential buyers' eyes if it didn't show them how distinct it was?

I was at a loss as to how Christy could have approved it in the first place.

Then I grumbled some more, wondering why I was getting so nitpicky about it. It wasn't my job to worry about collection titles. It was, however, my job to make sure they were launched properly.

Damn, this looked like a really good time for a vacation. I thought about the one I had been planning since last year; Hawaii and its glorious, sunny beaches. _Sigh…_

As I daydreamed about my elusive, would-be vacation, a knock sounded at the office window right behind me. I froze, my hackles raised.

"Go away," I growled in frustration. I didn't have time to deal with his shit, not right now.

"I'm only being polite by knocking first, Cherry," his smooth voice floated from behind me. "Don't think that I'd be _that_ courteous every time, especially if you keep up this charade of ignoring me."

"It's not a charade, I _am_ ignoring you." I tried not to turn around and glare at him, to show I meant business. Because that would only serve to encourage his irritating me.

When there wasn't any response from the window, I began to feel a bit nervous. I knew he was still there, so why was he being so quiet? What the fuck was he planning?

A moment later, I felt a cold breath on the nape of my neck. My nipples goddamn took notice, perking up nice and stiff for him. I was already falling apart.

This was not good. At all.

I had so carefully constructed a mental block toward Edward. For the last one week it had been working fabulously. The moment my train of thought veered even minutely in his direction, I'd completely change tracks.

But he had to come back once again to disturb my hard-won calm.

"Please don't bother me here. I'm in the middle of something really a crucial," I literally begged him. "I can't afford to ignore my work just because a one-off fling won't take the hint."

He remained silent, not rising to take the bait. Damn!

"I need to ensure all these bag designs are up to the standards of this collection." I didn't know why I was explaining my shit work life to him. Maybe because I supposed he'd be reasonable if he knew. "And I need to meet up with the manufacturers as well, which is gonna mean taking the bull by its horns. They're a major pain in the ass."

"I'm sure you keep them all in line," he finally responded; rather wryly, might I add. "After all, you make supernatural creatures grovel at your feet as well."

I barked out a laugh. "Grovel, you say? Is that a synonym of blackmail in the vampire dictionary?"

"You force me to take extreme measures, Cherry. If only you weren't so aggravating…"

"If only you weren't hell bent on sucking out my marrow."

"I'd say I'm rather hell bent on sucking other parts of you," he purred, sending a pleasurable shock through my body.

It was so disconcerting, how a few words from his beguiling mouth could be my undoing. I could literally feel the walls of my anti-Edward fortress crumbling to his will.

"Bella," he continued in his deceptively chocolate-coated voice, "I'm going to wear down your defenses until you give in, so don't even think about resisting."

I may have gulped a little too loudly, because I heard a chuckle behind me.

I struggled to find my voice, and when I finally did, I could barely muster a whisper. "Edward, the consequences of that are going to be monumental for me. I can't afford to go down that path…"

"Let me in your room tonight," he implored, his breath now heavy against my ear. "I'll tell you everything about my sudden departure that night, if that's what it takes to thaw you."

His lips then began a slow, agonizingly delicious torture of my earlobe. I whimpered in response. The bastard knew what he was doing.

"Keep that window wide open, and I'll know that you want me in." A suck on my neck, a kiss on my sensitive skin, and then he was gone.

I remained glued to my chair, literally vibrating with unfulfilled pleasure as I deliberated our brief conversation. What a fucking tease he was, rousing my body to take notice only to leave me panting after him.

There was no use chewing over this issue any further. He was going to come to me tonight, again, after two weeks away. And I wasn't going to send him back without knowing about his cockblocking _errand_.

"It's not like the window can be locked anyway," I muttered to myself as I tried to get back to work. "But at least he asked."

* * *

After work, I went straight home. I was hoping to complete my unfinished work when office hours were up. After all, I didn't have much to do this evening. My weekday routine was a boring bitch, not a single spark of anything interesting.

Except, there was to be something very _interesting_ tonight. I rolled my eyes at my inner drama queen.

After having a solitary dinner, I went about my nightly routine as nonchalantly as possible. Angela was working late tonight. And if her text message to me was any indication, it might be well into the wee hours of the morning when she returned.

It was an established fact that work was being cruel to both of us these days.

As I rummaged through my closet for fresh nightclothes, my eyes kept sneaking furtive glances toward my bedroom windows.

Certainly, the doubts were ever present in my mind. Was he going to visit me tonight or not? And if he was, then was he going to tell me the truth? I was leery about the latter.

But at least he agreed to talk to me about it. Now I only had to prepare myself for the worst case scenario.

Was it something to do about the other vampire—the blond guy?

Wait, was the blond dude even a vampire?

Was Edward two-timing me?

Was there some other woman involved, human or vampire or whatever the hell? _Please God, don't let it be a dude, blond or not. I'd burst a vein!_

Argh!

Why did Bear Grylls never do a special on how to deal with crazy vampires?

Or maybe Oprah should've done a special on crazy vampire hook-ups.

Okay, I needed to rein in my crazy thoughts before they got out of control and ran amok inside my head. I returned to my routine to find some solace in the mundane. Like taking a long hot shower; or brushing my teeth; or feeling the soft fabric of my panties against my skin as I put them on.

I puttered around my bathroom, wanting to find something else to do to kill time. I gave up after a while, as my lungs didn't appreciate a steam filled bathroom. So I dragged my ass out of there and returned to my room to put on my pajamas. Which, I discovered, were now in the possession of a vampire—a very smug vampire who was leaning against my closet.

I gasped in shock. His ensuing laughter resounded inside my room.

It was getting old.

I rolled my eyes at his cheekiness. Then I remembered that I was wearing skimpy underwear and nothing else. So I flailed about ungracefully to cover myself up with something. Why had I left my towel back in the bathroom, goddammit? And why didn't I take out my bathrobe? Argh!

"Looking for these?" the smartass asked, holding up my pajamas.

"Edward, stop this juvenile behavior right about now!" I finally stopped floundering and stood still, hands on my hips. There was no use hiding when I knew he had seen every detail the moment I stepped in my room. "Give my clothes back!"

"Why do you need them? It's kind of pointless, I believe, when I've seen it all before." He cocked his head slightly as he surveyed my body from top to bottom.

I was positively the deepest shade of red now, but that didn't mean that I couldn't dish it back to him. "Then you should probably be stark naked every time you decide to meet me."

"I'd be glad to oblige you," he purred approvingly, his eyes now fixating on my boobs.

I opened my mouth to retort but it died on my lips the moment he moved. Not in a blur, but slowly, Edward untucked his shirt and began unbuttoning it. Dropping the booty of my nightclothes behind him, he pushed his shirt off his shoulders in a single, fluid move.

The slow, deliberate strip was mesmerizing. With my breath caught in my lungs, I watched, agog with the resurgent lust I had tried so hard to tamp down till now.

And as I drank him in, frozen in place, Edward approached me with deliberate, languid steps. I was a deer caught in headlights, and I knew he was going to take advantage of that. Maybe I wanted him to…?

I wanted to say something, anything to avoid the oncoming sexual juggernaut, but my mind turned blank the moment he seized me in his arms. And as his lips descended upon mine, I knew I was losing my internal battle against lust.

_Holy fuck, sensory overload!_

I tried to channel my thoughts away from my sex hungry body, just so that I'd be able to think clearly for a moment. Because there was something that needed to be addressed immediately, and it was nagging at the back of my mind.

"Edward," I breathed against his distracting lips, "we need to talk… you promised."

"Later." His arms tightened around me.

"But, I need…" I faltered as I felt his cold hands on my breasts, inflicting sweet torture. "…need to know."

"Later," he repeated like a mantra, silencing me with long, drugging kisses. And just like that, the last string of resolve that I was holding on to was gone.

God, I knew that we were ignoring something very important here, but my lusty body didn't seem to care. It wanted one thing, and it was very resolute in its purpose. Desperate as well, because it was totally not bothered about getting it from a freak of nature.

And what a beautifully formed freak he was, I reflected secretly as my hands roamed over him. He groaned and flexed under my touch, and I enjoyed coaxing such responses from him.

We shuffled around as he backed me against something, probably my grandmother's old oak chest. Oh God, I really needed _not_ to think about my grandmom right now.

Edward's lips dropped to my breasts and began their teasing. I reached for his belt buckle and fly to begin some teasing of my own. I gave his pants downward nudges with my feet after I made small work of opening them.

"Don't move," he commanded and then closed his lips over my nipple. A gentle suction ensued, driving me delirious with pleasure.

"Oh G-God," I whispered, shivering, trying my best not to move… at least not too much. He hummed in response… a low, masculine bass vibrating throughout my body.

My hands clawed at whatever part of him they could get a hold on. My nails scraped against his tough skin, intent on digging in but gaining no leeway. My desperate efforts to do so were reprimanded as he grabbed my hands and maneuvered them behind my back. My body arched toward him, and I felt his razor-like teeth graze my skin. _Oh crap!_

I froze in place then, my vulnerable body finally recognizing the predator in him. But he didn't freeze; he kept up with his relentless coaxing and teasing of my body. And my body, even when acutely aware of the danger, responded nonetheless.

"Edward." My voice trembled, but at least I managed some form of speech. "Too much. Mhh… gonna fall." It wasn't an exaggeration, since my knees were beginning to wobble.

Thankfully, he paid attention and lifted me up… by gliding his hands inside my panties to hold me up by my ass. The cold hands gave me a jolt, because my ass wasn't really expecting them yet. Edward, perhaps knowing that I'd jump at this sudden move, let go of my breast.

He smirked at me, giving an enthusiastic squeeze to my behind. "I love how warm you are down there."

"And I don't appreciate you making tundra of me _down there_." I glared at him as he gave me another squeeze.

He snickered and lifted me completely off the floor. My legs, which had a mind of their own, decided to lock around his waist. I kept glaring at him while he carried me to the bed, slowly, because his pants were down at his ankles. But he remedied that immediately once he dropped me onto the bed.

He gaze was fixed on me while he undressed completely. For a while I just remained sprawled on the bed, attempting to come to terms with the growing anticipation between my legs. I literally ached for a fuck, and currently, Edward seemed the best cure for that.

And as I thought about aches and cures, his proffered instrument of cure pointed toward me as he removed his last piece of clothing. I sat up straight and stared at it, since I didn't get a good look the one time I did get acquainted with it.

Without much thought, I reached out to touch it.

"No." Edward caught my hand midway. "I'll lose it."

Lose what? Control over his strength? Or his thirst? Or…

"I'm already about to explode. I'll end up shooting right in your face," he explained, probably reading the confusion on my face. _How very sweet of him._

I rolled my eyes and went back to observing him from a distance.

"You look weird, you know? This must be the palest cock in the history of forever." Okay, where was my internal censor? Must've dropped it somewhere while I was making out with him.

"You say the most endearing things, Isabella." Ah, he was pissed. _Never jest about a man's manhood._

I shrugged, as there was hardly anything I could say to remedy my earlier comments. And what the hell, it was the truth! He _was_ pale… and well formed, and perhaps would've been an inspiration to the old masters!

_No Bella, don't go there!_ Famous painters immortalizing Edward's dick on canvas was not a very healthy thought.

"Stop it!" My eyes snapped to his, nearly flinching from his sharp tone.

"Stop what?"

"Whatever the hell you're thinking. It's probably something extremely outlandish." He pushed me onto my back, his broad frame looming above me. "Come back, Bella, come back to Earth, come to me, and I'll make you come several times tonight."

_Come, come, come…_ My mind nearly imploded every time he said that word.

He pulled my panties down and splayed his hands over the skin he had uncovered. I squirmed beneath him, my legs spreading—becoming the proverbial Red sea to his proverbial Moses.

The moment his fingers touched me, I sighed in relief. Sweet deliverance!

Two cold fingers carefully slipped inside me, coaxing out the most exhilarating sensations in my body. I closed my eyes and let myself drown in them. My breaths were so loud to my ears, as though I were some chugging steam engine.

Oh God, I was going to have sex again… with a creature that had wanted to kill me in the past!

Suddenly my high school encounter with Edward came forth in my thoughts, unbidden. And it was still scary. I opened my eyes and there he was, watching me intently as his fingers worked me into a frenzy. I shuddered. Goosebumps suddenly spread over my skin as my body struggled to reconcile with the warring sensations of fear and arousal.

His fingers curved, spiking my pleasure. I suppose the feeling of arousal won. In fact, it grew tenfold as I thought about my recklessness. I was literally offering myself up like a sacrifice… offering my body for death's pleasure.

My mind was a fucked up place, indeed. Because somehow, the fact that I was so hyperaware of Edward, the predator, only served to arouse me further. But I didn't want to acknowledge it so soon. I'd introspect later, when Edward wouldn't be here to distract me. Then I'd wallow in my own sick thoughts and berate myself.

Right now, I only wanted sexual satisfaction, not the accompanying guilt and self censure. So I tried to focus solely on the pleasure I was getting from him.

"Are you going to come?" he asked, sounding breathless.

I merely nodded; verbal communication was beyond me for the time being. Edward shifted, and then I felt his tongue on me, teasing my clit while his fingers slowed in their movement. Oh fuck, he was drawing out every bit of sensation from within me, literally sucking it out of me. It suited a vampire, I suppose.

I'd have laughed at my own silly thoughts, but instead, I came. Hard.

Edward kept sucking, first my clit, then his fingers. He even drove his magical tongue inside me, prolonging the last tremors of my orgasm. All the while, I just gasped and vibrated, clawing at the poor bedcover.

After all these months, I finally got my release.

When I came down from my sexual high, I found Edward smiling at me. Really smiling, no smirking or any such suggestive shit. Just smiling. Almost human…

I smiled back, feeling sated.

"You're welcome." His smile slowly turned roguish then, and I almost rolled my eyes. I seemed to do that a lot around him.

"You're not too bad, for a vampire," I said, grabbing his shoulders to pull him closer to me. I needed more from him, not just foreplay.

He complied, once again looming over me. "How many have you observed, dear? No, don't answer that. I'd rather you didn't sample any other creature ever again."

I giggled, liking the jealous side of him. I was such a sick fuck.

Edward bent down and licked the skin around my neck. I shivered, remembering how he'd sucked on my neck, drinking my blood the last time we'd fucked.

He sat back and adjusted himself between my legs. I exhaled slowly as I felt him push inside me, bit by bit, nearly driving me crazy in his unhurried approach. His face was awash with determination. It was so different from our last time.

Slow and steady, when he was finally in all the way, I heaved a sigh of relief. I'd have lost my mind if he had taken any longer. Suddenly, a string of reverberating growls erupted from his chest, very animalistic and feral. They vibrated into my body through where we were connected.

God, it was hot, seeing him behave in such an untamed manner. I wanted more of it.

Edward moved then, a slow—heaven help me—rocking motion which drove him deeper inside me. God, the feeling of having him move in me was absolutely heady. I gasped, feeling blissfully full as he continued his leisurely rhythm.

Acting on the urge to touch him, I reached out. His hands, which were caressing my thighs up till now, took hold of mine and laced our fingers together. Our hands were now joined midair between us.

"Edward," I muttered in a hoarse whisper. "Come here. I want you here." I tried to pull him to me, but he didn't budge.

"No… stay back and don't move." He let go of my hands and laid his own flat against the bed on either side of me. "Or better yet, move your hands above your head."

I did as he said, although why he suggested it was still unclear to me.

"What's gotten into you?" I asked, beyond exasperated at him for keeping this distance between us.

Edward didn't reply right away, seemingly fixated on my breasts, which were jiggling to the rhythm of his thrusts. He licked his lips, eyeing them hungrily. It made me blush, as I realized I was on full display to him, spread out nicely for his pleasure.

One of his hands reached out to touch them, while he finally met my gaze again. "I need to control myself."

"Wha—What do you mean?"

Now, I'm not very conversational during sex, but he was making no sense, so I had to ask.

"Don't want the…" He groaned abruptly, bending down to lick at my nipples. "Don't want the bruises."

"Oh, then just… stay like this at least." I grabbed his head as he continued to tease my nipple with his cold tongue.

His hands didn't touch me again; they remained beside me as he continued with his unhurried fucking. He was emitting low, rumbling groans as we moved.

"Faster, need you faster," I gasped, knowing I was making little sense. "Be faster."

"No…" What the fuck, was he trying to tease me to death?

"Faster, please!" I whined, like a desperate nympho.

"Fuck, you're killing me! Want me to give it to you rough and hard, is that so? Well, here you go." He switched gears and I moaned in approval.

"Just don't start babbling yet," I quipped, feeling the stirrings of an oncoming orgasm. And to further ensure that he didn't begin his verbal blitz, I pulled at his hair to direct him to kiss me.

The kiss didn't last long, though, because he pulled away and began to roar again. My human cries soon intermingled with his vampire snarls as he reached his climax.

Edward in the throws of an orgasm was a beautiful sight to behold. My entire bedroom seemed to vibrate with his feral growls as he released inside of me. I came again, right along with him, clenching around him in my own release.

"Oh fuck," I mumbled as the last of my orgasmic ripples subsided, essentially acknowledging that Edward was still hard.

The force of his thrusts had increased monumentally; even my very sturdy bed started creaking. My body responded in earnest, again. I knew I was going to come yet again very soon.

"Is it hurting?" he grunted, never slowing down. "Tell me if it is, understood?"

I nodded, feeling my body beginning to clench again. I had never come thrice in one go, usually too tired to even stay awake after the second one. But I wasn't about to fall asleep. I wasn't fully awake either; rather, I was in a trance-like state. And at this rate, I'd be seeing stars soon enough.

"Bella." Edward's rough voice sounded desperate. "I need… I need."

"What?" I knew I'd give him anything right now. "Tell me…"

"Just a little… fuck," he growled again. "Just a little taste. A sip or two… not much. I promise not to take more than a few sips."

At first, I didn't comprehend what he was saying. A sip, a taste… what the fuck?

"You won't even feel it." His hand ghosted against my neck, and suddenly, the light bulb turned on inside my head.

_Oh shit!_

I froze, my eyes widening in fear. He looked crazed, his eyes glued to my neck. We had both stopped moving. Seconds ticked by, and my 'oh shit' moment remained frozen between us.

"Is that what it's all about?" I whispered angrily, feeling no better than a cheap morsel.

"No!" Edward thrust into me, jolting my senses with the sudden pleasure of his movement. "It's just, you're the most delicious… Fuck, I can't explain it! I just need a little taste, please."

I shook my head, pushing against him as he picked up his thrusting again. There was no denying the mounting pleasure. My body arched and flexed, moving along with him. I was a slave to my own lust.

"It's my nature, Bella. I can't help it." He was trying to convince me, and I was trying to convince myself as well. "I'm a vampire and I want blood. And yours is like the most intoxicating wine."

"I don't think about wines when I fuck," I muttered, angered and yet thrusting my body against his.

"It's more than that. It's like a need I can't let go. And I want your consent. I want you to give to me… willingly." How did he manage to talk so much while fucking? I couldn't even form full sentences!

"My consent didn't matter the last time…" I wanted to say more, but it died on my lips. He was touching my clit! That bastard knew how that affected me!

"Please, Bella, I promise not to hurt you." His cool breath washed over me as he licked a trail from my breasts to my neck. His fingers were still on my clit, teasing, and yet holding me on the precipice of climax.

"Just a few sips?" I asked dazedly.

"Yes."

Why was I even considering his plea? I didn't fully understand my motivation, but I knew it had something to do with pleasing him, giving him something back for being such an attentive lover.

I knew then that my body was going to govern my decision, not my mind.

"Okay," I whispered, afraid to even hear myself agreeing to something so crazy.

Edward hummed in delight. I simply shuddered in morbid anticipation. There was a part of me that was fascinated by this turn of events.

I felt his fingers against my neck and I knew what was coming. Still, I whimpered when he actually delivered the anticipated cut. His cool lips hurriedly latched on, immediately easing the sting.

He sucked and sucked, drawing from my tender flesh to sate his thirst. In a macabre way, I found it erotic. My body responded in a shocking, unexpected flush of heat as I climaxed once more.

My moans were so loud that I found it hard to believe it was me making those noises. Edward was still drinking my blood, thrusting into me like a man possessed. Instinctively, I knew he was going to come again.

And then he threw his head back and snarled like a true predator as he came. That triggered another orgasm for me. Yeah, I had lost count by now.

Edward was making all kinds of purring noises as he relaxed against me. I was almost tempted to stroke his hair and back like I used to stroke my mom's cat. I was pretty sure that he'd have like it, but I couldn't muster the energy.

Edward licked at my neck and rested his head between my breasts. The cut itched and burned for a while before the pain vanished, leaving behind a cool numbness. Weird.

I sighed and shifted beneath him, kind of enjoying the heaviness of his body on top of mine. It felt surprisingly comfortable, whereas with Jacob, I had always felt overheated and sweaty. I remembered thinking of myself as a pig in a pen, always running off to the shower immediately after we'd been intimate.

Shit, I needed stop thinking of Jacob while I was with Edward. It almost felt sacrilegious… to whom, I wasn't entirely sure. But it certainly felt like I was somehow insulting Edward by doing it.

After a while, Edward moved off of me, settling at my side. I knew that it was probably the perfect time to grill him about his surprise departure that night, but the words wouldn't form on my lips. I was suddenly feeling lethargic and droopy. Even my eyes were having a hard time staying open.

I was blissfully tired, and sleep looked like a logical progression. There'd be time for chit-chat later.

My eyes fluttered close as I felt Edward pull the duvet over me. I reached out with my hands, blindly searching for him. There was no way I was letting him go, not before I woke up. Not that he couldn't slip away, but I needed to make sure that he knew what I wanted.

"Stay…," I murmured, the first lull of sleep hitting me like a drug. "Don't leave."

"Sleep, Bella, I'll stay till you wake up," he assured me. I wasn't positive, but I think I heard a gentle laugh somewhere around me.

I was definitely going to get back at him when I awakened all refreshed and re-energized.

* * *

**So yeah, that wasn't just a lemon. I hope it conveyed what it was supposed to convey. Reviews are greatly appreciated, as always.  
**

**Next update should be around next week, if not sooner. ;)  
**

Special thanks to _**Emavalexis**_, the one who keeps my tenses in line.


	10. Chapter 10

**Disclaimer****: **I don't own Twilight, or any of its characters. But I do own my brand of Darkward. S. Meyer owns everything that's Twilight.

* * *

Zoning out while at work was bad form, and I was the guilty party here. The brains of Hemlock Designs—which included me—were embroiled in a meeting with a potential client, one that could give our business a major boost.

Currently, Alice had begun with a little speech regarding her designs for the purpose of this contract, and I was… well, slacking. Her high-pitched voice was a jarring change after listening to the drone of my boss for almost half-an-hour.

My ears hurt from the impact, but I was thankful nonetheless. It was essentially the only thing that kept me from falling asleep in the middle of a major pitching.

I had been dozing off right from the beginning; it was a miracle that my boss hadn't noticed yet. Her focus was currently on securing this deal, everything else be damned.

I could say that I didn't give a shit, but in truth, I was ashamed of myself. Because giving a shit about a contract that could benefit this business was part of my job.

In all honesty, I wanted to kick myself, because the guilt that should've been seeping from my pores was just not present. Not only my body, but my mind too, was buzzing with sexual afterglow, courtesy of Edward.

Oh, I could still feel his hands and mouth on me. Okay, more than hands and mouth. _Never undermine the power of a pale vampire dick…_

I couldn't suppress the smile that broke across my face as I daydreamed about my 'morning after' with Edward. He had brought me breakfast in bed—cereal and fruit… at 5 A.M. Well, _I_ had woken up at that time, and I was hungry as hell, and he was a vampire with little experience in feeding humans… so there.

After satiating my hunger, I had pulled Edward to me. Apparently, my body needed satisfaction as well, despite last night's orgasms galore. I was a little sore, I'd admit, but damn if it stopped me from wanting more of him. And as for Edward, well, he was more than happy to feed my body.

He had pulled me to the edge of the bed and dove straight in. His long, talented tongue had worked relentlessly to drive me to the edge of climax.

"How long—oh—can you last?" I had asked him while he was exploring me like a man possessed.

Can't say I wasn't curious about vampire stamina, what with the way he had drilled me last night.

Edward didn't answer me right away; he took his sweet time down there. Not that I was complaining or anything.

"All night long, Cherry, probably longer than that," he had replied with a wicked grin, then flattened the tip of his tongue on my very sensitive clit. I wasn't sure I had heard him correctly, because I was nearly delirious with the need to come.

I had wanted to ask when and with whom had he spent the longest time, but even the thought of it left a bad taste in my mouth. I certainly didn't want to think about his longest fuck with someone else while he pleasured me. Thankfully, these crazy thoughts didn't stay with me for long, as Edward proceeded to take me from behind.

Ah, the thrill of exploring new positions!

"Oh, Cherry," he had growled into my ear as he fucked the daylights out of me. "I've always wanted to fuck you like this."

"Like animals?" My response was a raspy whisper, as my throat was dry from panting so much.

"Yes, wild and deadly for me, soft and cuddly for you." I knew he'd have laughed at his own joke had we not been fucking.

"Shut up, I'm not a teddy bear!" I wanted to sound pissed, but I couldn't stop moaning as he increased the pace.

Edward had then placed his hand where we were joined. His teasing and twirling fingers were too much for me. What followed was a series of almost never-ending orgasms for me.

As for Edward… he came twice somewhere along my string of orgasms. And yet, he had remained hard. That was an opportunity for me to explore him with my mouth, and I had grabbed it with both hands. Literally.

Now, I wasn't usually keen on giving head, but Edward had me really curious, what with his vampire body and sweet tasting mouth. So I had wanted to know what he might taste like down there.

Thank God I wasn't disappointed in my endeavor. Nor was Edward.

But holy freakin' Batman, his erection was legendary! It never went down despite my best effort.

"It'll go down after a while," he had told me rather smugly. "It can't right now because of your presence. Vampire erections are difficult to be rid of."

I had wanted to know more, but he had cut me short. "Your friend Angela is coming up the stairs."

That one sentence had sent me into panic mode. I had shooed him off through the window and escaped to the bathroom after locking my bedroom door. Angela wasn't one to knock, because I never had guys over. That shit had been remedied, but she didn't need to know.

Gah, her return had… upset me. So much that I had nearly missed the fact that Edward could discern her approach accurately. I wondered if it was a vampire trait.

I should probably thank Angela for disturbing me and Edward, though, because if I had gone on any longer with him, I'd be full-on dozing right now. Because sex with Edward was… mind-blowing yet exhausting at the same time. Vampire versus human; it wasn't rocket science to guess who had more stamina.

Alice's voice suddenly rose to a nearly glass shattering pitch, breaking my torpor.

"The designs are multifarious and versatile; the raw material is eco-friendly. The whole collection has been designed keeping in mind everyday usage and its resultant wear and tear…"

As she prattled on and on about the awesomeness of our new designs, her eyes scanned the room and came to rest on me. She gave me a loaded look, one that said 'get your shit together'.

_Damn, busted!_

My cheeks burned in embarrassment. I finally straightened myself and took notice of the ongoing proceedings. It was about damn time I contributed.

After Alice was done with her part, I spoke extensively about the cost effectiveness of our products, which didn't take away their chicness. Adding a word about our speedy production system, I explained in detail about the quality control system we had. That seemed to please our potential clients. _Phew!_

Thank God I had done my homework yesterday. It gave me the confidence to speak extensively about the collection we were pitching, even when I was mentally still half-asleep. Christy, my boss, looked pleased by my effort, and that was a big relief.

After the meeting—where we were confident that we would secure a deal—I wanted to head straight to my room, but Alice caught up with me.

"I'm ninety-nine percent sure the contract is ours," she said with the same confidence that I felt. "So how about we celebrate with a lunch date? Christy wants to treat us all."

_Fucking awesome, I finally land a hard-to-get treat from my boss, and I'm not feeling an ounce of enthusiasm._

All I wanted in that moment was to sleep to my heart's content. Fuck-a-thon exhaustion was sneaking up on me like a ninja. I was ready to collapse right there in the middle of our office lobby.

"Hello? Bella, where'd you zone out to?" Alice looked at me with concern.

"I'm not feeling up to it, actually." I lowered my gaze as lies poured forth from my mouth. "I was working late last night, preparing for the pitch and shit. Hardly got any sleep."

"Oh, really?"

When I finally caught a peek at Alice, I was a little taken aback by the look on her face. Eyes narrowed, lips pursed, she almost looked a stern school teacher who had just caught her student lying about homework.

My skin suddenly felt prickly and hot, and I wanted to bolt.

Alice didn't look at all sympathetic toward my fatigue. It almost looked as if she knew exactly what I had been up to last night (and this morning). And there was no way in fucking hell she could know about it!

Could she…?

I shook my head, as if it would banish the horrible thoughts puttering around in my head.

"Huh, humans aren't meant to pull all nighters." She gave me a weak smile, a shadow of resignation in her eyes.

_Humans?_ Why was she talking in a weird, Edward-like manner?

I blanched, taking a step away from my best friend. "I gotta go, Alice."

"We're heading out in about an hour." She called from behind as I raced away from her. "Come if you feel better by then!"

"I'll try!" I called back, my voice nearly cracking from the panic welling up inside me.

I closed my office door and slumped against it, breathing heavily as I berated myself.

What sort of a dumbass was I? Having a clandestine fling with a vampire was bound have its ugly consequences. First of all, it wasn't going to be a normal relationship. And the accompanying secrecy… shit, I couldn't even discuss it with anyone!

I mean, what the fuck would I say to my friends?

_"Hey, I'm having an affair with Edward Cullen. Yeah, he fucks like a non-stop machine. When you meet him, he may give you the creeps, but that's only natural, 'cause he's a vampire."_

"Ugh! Why is everything so damn difficult for me?" I grumbled to myself, settling into my chair.

And what was up with Alice, anyway? Not that she hadn't always been a little weird—good weird, that is—but these days she was bordering on Twilight Zone-ish weird. In almost all of our interactions this past month, she'd looked like she wanted to tell me something, but backed out at the last second.

God, I had enough weirdness in my life because of Edward, I didn't need it from my friends as well!

And coming back to Edward, I still didn't know about his mysterious errand. Though he had assured me—while I ate my breakfast—that it had nothing to do with another woman, human or not. But he hadn't elaborated.

It was obvious that he was reluctant to tell me. And that just made me all the more uneasy about the whole issue.

How bad could it be?

I had a sneaking suspicion that it had something to do with his hunting and feeding. Try as I might, I couldn't block this issue from my thoughts. Edward was a vampire, and vampires drank blood. Which meant that he was hunting people on a regular basis.

People like me and Alice? After all, he _had_ attacked me in the past… No, he had told me something this morning, when I had offered him some of my cereal…

"I already ate."

"When?"

"Last night only."

I had fallen silent then, trying to tamp down revolting feelings that were surging inside me. He had killed someone just before he had come to meet me. An innocent human life had been taken.

As if reading my mind, he had offered this little explanation of sorts, then— "I don't hunt average, mundane humans, Bella, if _that_ is what's bothering you," he had said with a tight smile.

When I asked him to be specific, he had hedged and tried to distract me with luring kisses. I resisted, but then he offered to explain everything regarding himself on the coming Saturday, no holds barred.

"I don't believe you," I had muttered in frustration, even though it was a terribly tempting offer. "You always promise, and then you break it. Look how you didn't explain anything last night!"

"I got distracted last night. And you don't have the time to listen to it all right now. It'll take a whole evening to explain. Let it be Saturday, and then Sunday will be ours as well. I promise not to break my promise to explain everything."

With that little bit of wheedling, he had my consent for a round of morning sex. His power of persuasion was impressive indeed. Or maybe I was too greedy for sex to care about an instant confession.

Or perhaps, I was trying to stall whatever he was going to tell me, subconsciously apprehensive that I wouldn't be able to stomach it.

I sighed and dropped my head to the table. Come Saturday, I'd know where I stood with Edward. Oh, but I probably needed to put whatever I wanted to know on a list, so that I remembered it all when I met with him.

In a frenzy, I grabbed a notepad and began to write...

**#######################################################################**

**_What I need to know-_**

**_1. _****_The fucking errand._**

**_2. _****_Details about his eating habits._**

**_3. _****_What sort of relationship is this, whatever it is between us._**

**_4. _****_How long will it last?_**

**_5. _****_Should it be a secret affair, or be made public, i.e, should my friends know about us._**

**_6. _****_What if any of my acquaintances find out?_**

**_7. _****_How come I never suffer any marks after he drinks from me?_**

**_8. _****_How did he know about Angela returning home before she actually stepped inside the apartment?_**

**_#######################################################################  
_**

I tore off the page and reread my list numerous times. It looked exhaustive enough. I decided that if anything else came to mind, I'd add it to the list as I went.

Okay, so that was cleared, somewhat. _Phew!_

My intercom beeped then; my boss's number was flashing and demanding attention. I sighed and answered the line.

"Bella! I heard that you're not coming with us for lunch?"

_Uh, oh…_

"Christy, I'm really sorry, but I'm not feeling well." Practiced lie.

"Oh? What happened? You looked fine at the meeting." God, I thought she wasn't paying attention to me.

"I was up late preparing for the meeting, so I'm feeling the effects of sleep deprivation. Nothing serious, though."

"Then you should come. I believe we're all suffering from that, honey."

_Argh! No choice, I guess._

"Umm, alright, I'll come."

"Oh, yes you will. Treat's on me, and you know that I won't be taking you to some cheap deli or the like."

She hung up before I could respond. I fumed and kicked my table. How did Alice put up with her? She was Alice's stepmother, and they appeared to be amiable toward each other, but I swear, Christy could fit right into the evil stepmother persona.

Maybe her beef was only with me. Nevertheless, I'd go to this lunch, alright. And I'd make sure to order the most expensive stuff served at whatever ritzy restaurant she was taking us to. _Ha!_

* * *

"I see you made it." Alice smirked at me from the opposite side of the restaurant table.

"Yep, Christy is very persuasive," I muttered, looking apprehensively at my food. Turned out that the most expensive dish wasn't the most palatable. One word to define my current misery with food: Yuck!

"Hmm, she really wanted to reward everyone who contributed toward this deal." Alice appeared to be happy with her food. Well, it looked delicious.

I stared at her plate with unfulfilled yearning. "Well, bad timing for me. But I appreciate her efforts."

Alice glanced in Christy's direction, who was chattering away on her cellphone while the people sitting adjacent just stared at her in reverence. They were her employees, after all, to whom she hadn't given much notice until now.

At least it was entertaining to watch from the sidelines.

I had chosen to sit at the far side of the table, as far away from her as possible. Alice came over to sit with me.

"You know you're brilliant, right?" Alice said, her attention back on me.

"O-kay, I just don't know how to respond to that, Al." Really, what was she on about?

She shrugged. "Just saying. You did so well today, even when you were so under-prepared. But I knew that you would be able to handle it all."

_Hey, wait a sec! Under-prepared? What?_

"Umm, I wasn't under-prepared." Okay, I was, somewhat, but what did she know about it?

"Oh? You looked so tired right from the beginning," she replied, her eyes taking on a distant look. "As if you spent the entire night at the gym."

_Crickets…_

Why was I having a feeling of déjà vu? Maybe because Weird Alice was back again, and in full force.

I sputtered, choking on whatever foulness I had just nibbled from my fork. Alice, like a dear friend, offered me a glass of water.

"You can eat some of mine, you know," she said with a concerned look on her face. "We can share. I won't be able to finish it all on my own, anyway."

Needless to say, I jumped at the offer. Figuratively, that is.

Alice was weird but she was also a very caring and attentive friend. I mean, she had her moments, like she was having right now, but she always had my best interests at heart. Likewise from my side.

We ate in peace then, and I returned my dish, citing a heretofore unknown allergy. Good riddance!

Dessert was the best part of the meal. Once again, Alice and I shared ours. I was hoping that this congenial exchange would keep the weird bits of Alice in check. She was currently preoccupied, gushing about the fudge that we had just eaten. That gave me some relief.

Alice was actually planning on ordering another serving of fudge, never the one to count calories. Our server wasn't present, so she scanned the area to locate him.

That's when it happened.

Her eyes widened and her breath hitched. Her gaze was fixed on something, or someone in the general direction of the entrance. I turned in my seat to see what had garnered such an extreme reaction.

The entrance way was a bit crowded, as a particularly large group of people was just making its way inside the restaurant. I looked back at Alice as I asked what was wrong. She didn't respond, instead continuing to stare in the same direction in mute horror.

Okay, this was getting beyond weird now.

I shot up from my chair and perused the entrance area again. I was about to turn back to Alice when something familiar caught my attention.

A guy with blond hair.

_Oh my fucking God, please tell me it ain't so!_

Without thinking, I rushed toward the entrance, my heart thumping with adrenaline. Foolhardy as it was, I needed to know if it was the same guy. More than that, I needed to know if he was a vampire.

I couldn't get to him fast enough; the crowd of incoming patrons was blocking my way. But that didn't mean that I was unable to recognize him. I was entirely sure that he was the same guy I saw that night outside the club.

I couldn't see his face clearly, but his hair was the thing that sealed it. It was distinct in its appearance, falling in waves over his eyes and the back of his neck. I remembered it well from that night.

His gait was also tellingly familiar. Just like Edward, he walked with superior grace and confidence. I could be wrong, but I believe that very few humans can walk with such eerily perfect poise.

I tried, with my best possible efforts, to reach him, but it was not to be. He was moving away fast, with long strides, as if he wanted to avoid me. That only made me all the more suspicious.

I was contemplating following him outside, chasing him down the street or something, when alarmed cries drew my attention back to Alice.

Something was terribly wrong.

There, at the table, Alice had collapsed against her seat. Her face was red and she was wheezing. She was struggling to breathe.

Oh God, she was having an asthma attack!

* * *

**Thanks for your warm reviews, I'm always greedy for them. :)  
**

**Next update-next week.  
**

Special thanks to _**Emavalexis**_, my darling beta.


	11. Chapter 11

**Disclaimer****: **I don't own Twilight, or any of its characters. But I do own my brand of Darkward. S. Meyer owns everything that's Twilight.

* * *

The wall clock in Alice's bedroom ticked in its metallic monotone, amplifying the uncomfortable silence.

It had been two days since she had suffered the asthma attack. She was recovering well; at least the doctor said so. I was just happy to see that she wasn't looking deathly pale anymore.

I had been visiting her twice daily to alleviate my worries regarding her convalescence. Plus, I was paranoid that something would happen to her if I didn't keep a close watch.

It wasn't as if she wasn't being cared for. Her dad had cancelled all his consultancy appointments to be with her, and even Christy was constantly hovering over her in a protective mother hen way. Alice even had a personal nurse at her disposal right now.

Alas, none of that was enough to give me peace of mind.

Alice was currently sitting in a plush lounger, looking out the gigantic window that took up almost all of the wall space. I sat on the floor beside her, silent and agitated. I wanted to talk to her about what happened at the restaurant. But somehow, I just wasn't able to initiate that conversation.

The silence stretched on and I became increasingly tense, but Alice's expression didn't change. She was calm, seemingly lost in her thoughts.

This was not a good calm; it was more like the calm before a storm. I could almost feel the low, static buzz that preceded thunder. Honestly, it drove me up the wall.

"Alice, when was the last time that you had an attack?" I asked at long last. It had been weighing on my mind every time I visited her. I knew she suffered from this ailment, but she'd never had an attack in my presence before.

"Spring break," she replied, still looking into the distance. "Our sophomore year at college."

"I wasn't there," I said as I recalled I had gone off to Forks. "I went to see Dad."

"Yeah, and I was staying with my dad and Christy."

"What triggered it?" I tried to sound casual. It was a crafty plan to get her where I wanted her.

"Pollen. At least that's what the doc said."

"Ah, spring time…" I glanced at her from the corner of my eye. She was still calm. "But it isn't spring yet."

"No, it isn't."

"The docs aren't sure what triggered it this time. They say it could be the food…"

"It _was_ the food. What else could it be?" She chuckled, shaking her head.

"Yeah, what else…" Damn, she wasn't speaking about what I wanted her to speak about.

More silence…

The minutes ticked by, and my frustration grew tenfold.

"What did you see, Alice?" I finally asked, having had enough of her evasiveness. "Please tell me."

She didn't reply immediately, but I was okay with that as long as she did reply.

"What I was afraid I'd see." Her belated answer didn't make things any clearer.

"You know, It'd be easier on both of us if we just talked about it, no holds barred." I looked straight at her then, silently begging for her to comply.

She gave me a gentle smile, akin to a forgiving parent who loved their children regardless of their indiscretions. "Yes, it'd be easier for us to keep no secrets, Bella. But I understand that sometimes, some secrets are not ours to tell."

It was blatantly obvious now. She knew… about me and Edward, about Edward's otherness… everything. It may be impossible by pure logic, but it was true nonetheless. I wasn't even sure if I wanted to know how she knew.

But now wasn't the time to focus on my issues. I needed to understand what exactly was bothering her so much that it'd take such a toll on her.

It had to be that blond man. There was no way his presence there was a coincidence. I just needed to know why she reacted that way to seeing him.

"Were you afraid of him?" I asked, my voice turned down to almost a whisper. "Are you still afraid of him?"

"No… not really," she replied after taking a deep breath. "Just of what it portends."

Okay, so she _had_ seen him. Progress. Now, all I needed was confirmation that it was the same 'him' that I had seen. I was about to ask her, but her nurse intervened as she barged into the room.

Etiquette was clearly in short supply these days.

"Miss Brandon, time for your meds."

Alice took her medication obediently while the nurse hovered about, subtly indicating that it was time for me to leave. The patient needed her rest… yeah, alright.

I sighed and got up. It was no use to keep grilling Alice. As it was, she looked tired and weak. Maybe I'd try to get her to talk the next time I visited her. I was hoping to see a recovered Alice by then; it'd be so much easier. At least I wouldn't feel guilty of pushing a frail patient.

"I guess you need to rest now." The nurse side-eyed me as I said that. _Oh, bitch, please._

"Yeah, I need to sleep. Sleeping is _crucial_," Alice agreed, indicating for the nurse to leave. I liked that she was still her old assertive self.

When the nurse was gone, I hugged Alice goodbye, promising to visit soon enough. She responded by telling me to not postpone my weekend plans, that she'd be safe and sound and didn't require my vigilance.

Ah… weekend plans… with Edward. I wondered exactly how much she knew about me and Edward. I could only hope that she didn't know every teeny-tiny detail of what I did with Edward. Blushing deeply, I left her place in a hurry.

So she didn't want me to bail on Edward. But why? She was always indirectly warning me against seeing him; at least that's what I could decipher by replaying her cryptic words in my mind. 'Playing with fire' and such shit had meant Edward, right?

Could it be that my weekend meet-up with Edward was somehow going to reveal something crucial?

Could it be that she had in fact seen a vampire at the restaurant? That could be why she wanted me to get more info from Edward.

I wondered if Edward was involved in this mess, directly or indirectly. My intuition certainly told me that he was.

_Argh! Crazy fucking thoughts in my crazy fucking head..._

My mind was a cacophony of such thoughts as I drove myself home. I was worried for my friend… worried for what might be scaring her… worried that _I _may have something to do with it.

* * *

I looked out the car window at the passing landscape while Edward drove to God knew where. He was going slightly over the speed limit, but that was okay. At least he wasn't into speed demon mode.

It was Saturday morning, the day Edward had designated for a tell all. To my absolute surprise, he had shown up at my apartment at 6:30 A.M., insisting that I pack whatever stuff I needed for an overnight stay.

Now, I'm not a morning person, so I hadn't been very thrilled to see him at the crack of dawn. And his ridiculous demands had especially made want to pull out my butane torch right there.

I wasn't very receptive to the idea of leaving with him; I was a worried mess after what had happened with Alice. But I didn't mention that to him. Instead I had demanded that he tell me exactly where he was taking me.

Turned out that he wanted me to visit his 'home'. I was momentarily bombarded by thoughts of coffins and bat caves, and had told him as much.

He had laughed at me, which was typical, but this time around his laughter grated on my nerves.

"Seriously, coffins and bat caves? Well, Bella, sorry to disappoint, but my abode is not much different from yours," he had said between his bouts of laughter.

"Oh, Mr. Vampy likes living as a measly human?"

He had smiled almost indulgently at my goading. "Why, Miss Feisty Human derides her own species? Tsk-Tsk.."

Not in the mood for more verbal sparring, I had snapped at him. "Why do you even need a fucking house? Why not let someone else use it instead, someone who actually needs shelter? I'm sure you can live inside caves and such shit. Oh wait, 'live' is probably the wrong word to use."

He'd seemed unfazed by my retort. "Yes, it should be 'exist'."

"Whatever! Why should I want to visit casa de vamp?"

"Because it's more private, and our impending conversation shouldn't be held around humans. Plus, it's more luxurious and has a king sized bed." He had smirked and arched his eyebrow, his very obvious way of saying '_we're gonna have hot, roaring sex that'll make you scream_'.

The nerve!

He had pushed toward my closet with a quick slap on my ass. "Now be a dear and pack your bags. We need to hurry if we want to avoid getting stuck in traffic."

"Yeah, that'd be like hurling you into the bowels of hell. Poor Speedy Gonzalez stuck amongst the snails! For hours! Can you imagine the tragedy of that?" I had added theatrical intonations for the last part of my diatribe. _Yeah, so much for not sparring with him…_

"Isabella, we can mock each other as much as you like, but later." He'd looked like a pissed off feline right then, with narrowed eyes and wild hair. "Right now I need to you to come with me so that I can fulfill the promise I made to you. Do you or do you not want an explanation?"

I had huffed at him, but gone on to pack my stuff nonetheless. There was no arguing with the fucker. I wanted answers, so I did whatever was necessary to get them. It took me half-an-hour to get ready, and then we were off.

"You're uncharacteristically quiet today." Edward gave me scrutinizing look as he drove the car, never once veering off the lane. "Care to tell me what the matter is?"

I sighed and sank into the seat, not really wanting to discuss the reasons for my sour mood yet. "I think I told you. I'm not a morning person," I muttered, hoping it would satisfy him.

"So I gathered."

"And I don't like surprises."

"Ah…"

_Alright, here it comes…_

"And I think the excuse you used to make me accompany you was flimsy."

"How so?" His cool and controlled demeanor was kind of upsetting. Why was I the only one getting worked up here?

"You said you couldn't tell me anything at my place because of other people that could be close-by. That wasn't true; I was all alone for the weekend. Even Angela wasn't coming back till Monday evening."

"You do realize that you have neighbors, don't you?" That sly smirk of his was back in full force. Usually, I found it attractive, but right now it made me want to fucking punch him in the face.

"Yeah, but my neighbors don't have super-hearing powers. They're your regular, poor humans." I added dramatic air-quotes for emphasis.

He didn't respond to that for a while, so I turned my attention back to the window and noticed that the scenery had changed. Untamed, lush greenery surrounded us now, stretching out as far as the eye could see. We were well past the outskirts of Seattle.

Where the hell were we going anyway? Did he actually live in the forest, surrounded by wilderness, like Tarzan?

I suppressed an involuntary giggle at imagining him swinging from branches, clad in a rag and emitting that typical Tarzan call.

"You're right, I had an ulterior motive in wanting to bring you to my house," he finally said, drawing my attention back to reality. Lost in my Tarzan fantasy, I had almost forgotten the subject of our dysfunctional conversation. Almost.

"Yeah? So what was the actual reason behind you dragging me out of my home at first light?"

He rolled his eyes. "Cut the drama, please. I wasn't sure as to how you might react to what I have to tell you."

What did he think I was, some teenage drama queen?

"Even if I reacted badly, I couldn't harm you at all. What had your panties in such a twist?"

"I have my reasons, and they are valid," he replied dismissively, not a hint of annoyance in his voice. That was so goddamn irritating, the way he wouldn't react at all to any of my scathing remarks.

The car slowed as he steered it down a snaking road, then abruptly turned right, into a wide gravel pathway. Well, it looked like we were finally reaching the bat cave. That was what I was calling it, anyway, no matter what Edward insisted.

We had lapsed into silence again, and it wasn't so bad, considering that I was itching to pick a fight with him.

The path stretched on and on under the thick, primeval cover of green. Just when I thought it wouldn't end, there was an opening, and the forest cleared to reveal a two storied structure. I wasn't sure, but its build seemed to be an amalgamation of different architectural styles.

It was something I'd have taken pictures of if I saw it in passing.

Killing the engine, Edward stepped out and retrieved my overnight bag from the backseat.

"I wasn't sure that you wouldn't go about telling people my secret," he stated wryly as I got out. "So I needed to make sure that we were somewhere secluded, cut off from the rest of civilization."

His justification pissed me off.

How could he doubt me, when I had kept his secret for years? And I had been under no obligation to do so, because _he_ had attacked me, and still, I didn't say a word to anyone!

Well, not that anyone would've believed me, but still…

"And if I still want to go and rant about your undeadness to people, what will you do then?"

Edward gave me a creepy lopsided grin. "Then civilization will surely miss you."

I gasped, feeling unsettled. Was he threatening me?

"You… you…" I backed away until I felt the press of the car behind me. It blocked me from moving further away as Edward advanced.

"Why, Bella, wouldn't you like me to abduct you and keep you in my bed?" He laid a hand on my chest, over my thumping heart, as he drew closer and kissed me.

I was too unnerved to return the kiss, so I just stood there, still as a statue, as he tried to deepen it. I pulled away when he was done trying, and he gave a frustrated sigh.

"Not in the mood to joke, eh?" he asked as I stepped away to put some distance between us.

"That wasn't even remotely funny," I ground out, giving him a sharp look.

"Oh, and what about the verbal taunting that I had to endure all the way? Can't say that it pleased me, but at least I was being a sport," he said, looking exasperated. Good.

"At least I wasn't trying to be funny by threatening you."

"Wow, you're especially antsy today," he commented casually, giving me a once over. "What has you so wound up?"

"There are many stresses in human life, most of which are beyond your comprehension."

"PMS?" he asked, a little too loudly, and I actually saw a few birds flying out of the nearby trees. _Creepy vampires…_

"Ah, and now you have something to look forward to?" I wisecracked, crinkling my nose in mock disgust.

To his credit, he looked more disgusted than me. "No, _that_ blood isn't part of my diet. I'm not a creep, just your average vampire."

"Aren't they one and the same?"

"Even if they are, you like it like that. Now that should qualify as something creepier, no?" The smartass chuckled as he said that.

Argh, this stupid verbal ping-pong was getting me nowhere. "Whatever, now are you going to let me in or what? Or are we camping on the front lawn?"

He gave me a stiff nod and proceeded to open the front door for me. I simply followed his lead, thankful for no further verbal retorts.

The interior of the house was swathed in luxury. What it did for a vampire, though, was beyond me. I mean, why would he need cushy furniture, when his ass was literally indestructible? It wasn't like he'd get stiff and sore if he didn't have any such comforts.

Even his refrigerator and pantry were loaded with food items. Good grief!

There was a piano sitting in the living room. I could only imagine him playing it around midnight, like an evil grouch plotting someone's demise. It would've been better still if it were an organ instead of a piano. After all, creepy music coming from a mansion was horror canon.

"How do you like it?" he asked as I surveyed the house.

"Nice, but I don't get it," I replied as I took the stairs, impatient to see what the next floor held. "You don't actually need any of this stuff, right? Why bother with getting it in the first place?"

"To keep up appearances."

Edward followed me to a big bedroom, where a humongous bed greeted us.

"Uh, wow, you weren't kidding." I laughed, impressed with the size and the apparent sturdiness of the bed.

He sat down on it, indicating for me to do the same. I, however, wasn't so keen on getting on the bed as of yet. Instead, I went to explore the balcony that opened adjacent to the bedroom.

"I never knew you entertained humans," I commented casually, remembering his explanation for such extravagant furnishings. "Me being the obvious exception."

"I plan to." I looked back at him in confusion. He shrugged and left the bed to join me. "I may need to play host to humans in the future, now that I have permanent residence. Although I'm hoping that the remoteness of my home will essentially discourage them."

Ah, now was probably the right time for that elusive explanation.

"You can start talking anytime now, you know." I turned toward him expectantly.

"Why don't you freshen up first? You know, take care of your human needs? It's going to be a long conversation." He trailed his finger down my arm, making me shiver.

"Okay," I acquiesced, trying to ignore the lust that his simple gesture evoked.

Apparently, I was back in the mood. 'Lusty Bella' was trying to derail my plans of having Edward fess up before he got any action from me.

Thank God that he left me alone then, or else I might have jumped him in a moment of confused restlessness.

* * *

**I really like reading the various Alice theories from you guys. Some have guess that she has the visions, while she's still human. I promise that it will become clearer as the story progresses, along with the mystery blond. :P  
**

**Next update-next week.  
**

Special thanks to _**Emavalexis**_, my darling beta.


	12. Chapter 12

**Disclaimer****: **I don't own Twilight, or any of its characters. But I do own my brand of Darkward. S. Meyer owns everything that's Twilight.

* * *

_"You can start talking anytime now, you know." I turned toward him expectantly._

_"Why don't you freshen up first? You know, take care of your human needs? It's going to be a long conversation." He trailed his finger down my arm, making me shiver._

_"Okay," I acquiesced, trying to ignore the lust that his simple gesture evoked._

_Apparently, I was back in the mood. 'Lusty Bella' was trying to derail my plans of having Edward fess up before he got any action from me._

_Thank God that he left me alone then, or else I might have jumped him in a moment of confused restlessness._

* * *

After I took care of my 'human needs', as Edward put it, I went downstairs and found him tinkering on the grand piano in the living room. He gave off the impression of being preoccupied with it, but I knew better.

I leaned against the handrail and observed him quietly, knowing full well that he was observing me as well. More like, waiting for me to say or do something, which I didn't.

His fingers pressed a few keys, and music flowed from the instrument. Then he began to play in earnest, a classical piece that I listened to on a regular basis. To say that he was a talented pianist would be an understatement.

Mesmerized, I gravitated toward him, leaving the handrail to go and stand beside the piano. The way his long fingers literally caressed the keys… Oh fuck, it was enough to rouse Lusty Bella.

He was amazing, but I wasn't going to stroke his ego by singing him accolades as of yet. From the way his confident hands were gliding over the instrument, I'd bet he already knew how good he was.

He played the entire piece without a single error, mirroring its every little crest and trough to perfection. When he finished, I was left with a feeling of calm contentment. It was such a relaxing experience; I had almost forgotten about my endeavor to grill him. Almost.

I wanted to clap and gush to him, and perhaps convince him to play another piece, but I persevered and remained quiet.

"I play it often," he stated without preamble, when it was clear that I wouldn't initiate conversation. It was actually my Dad's pet strategy to get someone to spill his guts—not saying anything, so that the other person felt compelled to fill the silence.

"Mm-hmm…" was my only response.

"I can repeat any piece on the piano, just by hearing it once. Vampire brain is sharp is like that." Ah, what a show-off.

He turned toward me, shifting to sit astride the piano stool. I gave him a measured gaze, wanting him to keep talking.

"Cut it, Cherry, I know the drill. I've been subjected to much more than forced silence to get information out of me."

I raised an eyebrow, feeling a little out of my depth now. I didn't expect him to catch on so easily. "What have you been subjected to? And what was the info?"

"Oh, the usual interrogation procedures, inflicted by the Gestapo to get crucial details out of me regarding my command." He said that with such nonchalance, it was ironical in the way that it was such a big revelation. He had dropped a fucking bomb on me.

I gaped at him, incapable of replying coherently. _Gestapo? The Nazis? Was he shitting me?_

He smiled, knowing that the wheels were spinning inside my head. "By the look on your face, it seems like you know your history well."

"You were captured by the _Nazis_? What in the actual fuck?" I screeched—yes, screeched—at the top of my lungs. The shock was too much; I couldn't contain my reaction.

"See, I told you I was wise in bringing you here, where you can scream to your heart's content." He was talking as if we were having a usual tea-time chat, while here I was, already losing my shit.

"Wait! That means _World War Two_. Hold on! You… You're _older_ than my _grandparents_?"

I was nearly hyperventilating now.

"You can call me your sugar daddy." He grinned. The fucker was enjoying my colossal freak-out.

"Make that sugar grand-daddy!" I said testily, still huffing and puffing away, my hands flapping like a freakin' penguin.

"Even better." He laughed, having no regard for my utterly scandalized sensibilities.

"Fuck! Fuckity Fuck! I've been fucking an old relic of a man all this time!"

"Tap into your kinky side, and you might find it hot. I do."

"Do you have a Lolita fantasy or something?"

"You could still pass for a high schooler, but not any younger than that. Lolita was supposed to be around twelve. Quit making me feel like a pedophile."

"Fine! This just keeps getting more and more fucked up." I began to pace around the piano, feeling totally blindsided. "Please continue. Let's have all the fuckery out in the open now. That way I'll know what the hell I've gotten myself into. So what _were_ you doing in the WW Two, munching on the Huns?"

"I was human at that time, and a fighter pilot," he replied, a hint of pride entering his voice. "Part of the Fourth Fighter Group in the Eighth Air Force."

I drew a blank at this bit of info. He saw how absolutely clueless I looked and appeared to be biting back another smile.

"Carry on, give no thought to my limited knowledge," I assured him. "I'm gonna google that shit anyway."

He shook his head and continued. "It'll suffice to say that it was the most successful group of the Eighth AF, which served in combat operations in the European Theatre during the war."

"So you fought the Germans, really?" I asked, simply fascinated with the imagery it presented.

"Yes, we downed many of the Luftwaffe. I personally had a good score going against them until I was captured."

"Ah, so that was when they grilled you?" _Edward, the WWII POW… wonders would never cease._

He nodded, all traces of humor gone from his face now. This was a sensitive issue; possibly a very traumatic experience as well. I wondered if he'd suffered from PTSD afterwards. The thought of him, human and suffering, made my gut clench in a very uncomfortable way.

I stopped my crazy pacing and came to sit on the edge of the stool, facing him sideways.

"Did they… torture you?" I asked hesitantly, not knowing what I'd do if he sort of had a PTSD episode right now. I didn't even know if vampires could have them or not, but it was best to be careful.

"Well, they were a nasty lot, the Nazis, but that's a well known fact. They had many a hidden agenda up their sleeves. When I was captured after crashing during an air raid near Osnabrück, I was taken to a secret POW camp, where the Gestapo questioned me about my command's plan regarding upcoming raids. At first, they tried physical torture, but before it became unbearable, they stopped. Then they came out with the big guns."

"Did they electrocute you or something?" Interrupting him wasn't my intention, but I had to know. Oh God, for the sake of my sanity I had to know!

"Nope, they didn't. Instead, they began to treat me to unexpected comforts and kindness. Their chief interrogator used to come and sit with me for a long time. We had long chit-chats on seemingly irrelevant topics." Edward smiled, his eyes suddenly filled with a faraway look, perhaps reliving the memory. "He tried so hard to get me to divulge."

"So _that_ was the method of interrogation practiced by Nazis? Hard to believe," I muttered, inadvertently drawing his attention back to me, back to the present.

"No, that was the method they used when they were really desperate for information. When I was captured, a major air offensive was underway, _Operation Argument_. You can google it." He smirked, acknowledging my earlier remark. "The Germans had already suffered great losses, and there were a hell of a lot of air raids that still hadn't occurred yet. They knew that time was running out for them, so they sent in their best to get the crucial information out of me."

"So did you spill?" Curious and eager to know more, I shifted closer to him on the stool.

He put his arms around my waist and held me closer still. "No. And that, if I may say so, was a legendary feat, considering the many ways Schraff tried to reach inside my head."

"Schraff? The kind and considerate interrogator?"

"Yeah, he was one slick manipulator."

"But you were slicker," I said, feeling proud of his efforts to protect his command's secrets.

"Marginally," he confessed a bit self effacingly. "I was constantly aware of his true intentions, and that helped a lot."

Now what did _that_ mean? "Care to explain that as well?"

"I knew you were going to pounce on that little tidbit the moment I said it." He grabbed my hand and played with my fingers, and that had me thinking naughty thoughts about _his_ fingers again. Damn! _Focus, Bella, focus!_

"I'm curious; you can't blame me, really, when you throw all these cryptic words around like confetti."

He sighed, as if not really wanting to discuss this, which made me more determined to do it. "I was always more in-tune with what others were thinking around me, and that too, unconsciously. It was like an inborn instinct that just improved with time. It later manifested itself in full force when I became a vampire."

"I think I told you, no cryptic shit," I reproved, pulling my hand away.

"Alright, just don't freak out again, okay? Because my ability, well, it doesn't apply to you. You're immune to it." He gave me a tense smile, one that said 'caution, danger ahead!'

_What was I, a ticking bomb?_

"Immune?" That sounded as though we were talking about some infection or virus and shit.

"I can read minds," he blurted before I could ask any further.

_What? WHAT?_

I was sure I was going to burst a blood vessel or two today. This was insane!

I did a little breathe-in-breathe-out routine to calm myself as I assimilated this latest information overload.

_Wait, he said I was immune…_

"How exactly am I immune to you?" I asked, afraid that he may be fucking around in my head right at this moment.

"I can read everyone's mind, except yours." One of his eyebrows rose, as if he was unsure whether I'd believe him or not. "Your thoughts are well protected."

Of course I didn't believe him! I needed proof, and made no bones about asking him for it.

"Proof of the fact that I can't read your mind?" he asked.

"Yep."

He deliberated for a while before responding, as we sat there in our awkward semi-embrace.

"Well, for one, I wouldn't have had so much difficulty in preempting your reactions during our differences, if I knew exactly what to say to appease you."

"O-kay, I'll take it, even though it's not a very convincing example." I exhaled loudly in relief, because his logic did make sense in a twisted kind of way.

So he was a mind reader. And that revelation actually cleared up a few things.

"Now I get it. You could read Angela's thoughts as she was making her way to our apartment, right?"

Making that list at my office turned out to be a good decision. If only I had remembered to bring it here with me…

He nodded, then gave me a sly smile. "And Alice's, when we were… being very _frisky_ inside your office."

I blanched at the mention of Alice, and wondered if I should tell Edward about her and her latest episode of weird behavior. No, I couldn't do that. Even thinking about it made me feel as if I was betraying our friendship in some way.

"Ah, but having sex in your office is kind of taboo." He cocked his head as his eyes slowly appraised me. "And I like taboo, but something tells me that the mention of office sex isn't the reason behind your sudden pallor."

I shook my head in denial of his very accurate assessment. How could he do it, when he couldn't read my mind? It was disturbing.

"Nothing, just remembering that day," I lied, prying my eyes away from his. "I had thought that you'd come back to finish the job."

"Finish the job, indeed, of fucking you six ways to Sunday," he growled playfully, pulling me against him.

I released a nervous laugh, then made to get up. But apparently, he wasn't going to allow me to hide. His arms came around me and trapped me against his chest.

"Edward, what are you doing?" I asked nervously as his hand came up to cup my cheek. It gave me ideas which I shouldn't be having, especially regarding a vampire.

"I'm trying to figure you out," he answered, his gaze filled with heated want. "That crazy head of yours has God knows what kind of thoughts floating around in it. The fact that I'm denied even a peek is very frustrating."

"Let's leave my mind's dissection for another day. Today is going to be about you and you only. You still haven't told me why you left that night," I said, desperately wanting to shift the focus of our conversation back to him.

He sighed in that weary and reluctant manner again. "I left because it was absolutely necessary."

"I need a little more info than that." I knew that I shouldn't push him too much, but sometimes I couldn't help myself. My need to know over-rode everything else.

"Fine, but don't cringe or run away screaming when I tell you," he said stiffly, suddenly looking very grim. He even let go of me and pulled away slightly.

_Oh fuck, it's really bad. I knew it!_

"Tell me," I challenged bravely, wanting the metaphorical Band-Aid to be ripped off already.

"I went on a hunt. I hadn't eaten for two days, and I needed to quench my thirst. It was becoming uncontrollable around you and I didn't want to harm you."

_Oh… Oh!_

"You mean," I whispered, barely able to talk. "You mean you went to chomp on some random human being… to satisfy your munchies?" I shot up from the stool, and this time, he didn't try to stop me.

"I've told you before, it's not random. I choose my food carefully," he snapped, running a hand through his hair.

He was so clinical about it, so… offhand, like we were discussing the weather, not someone's gruesome death at his hands.

"So you killed someone, just so that you didn't end up killing me instead. Because I was meant for fucking, not eating." I felt disgusted even saying that. It almost felt as though I was somehow a party to this murder.

Suddenly, a loud, threatening growl emanated from him. The nearby windows shuddered in its wake. I jumped a little and retreated away from him, bolstering myself for a round of mad vampire rage.

"Isabella, you need to shut up and Goddamn listen to what I have to say," he spit out irately, clenching his hands into tight fists. "So keep your assumptions to yourself for the time being. Understood?"

I nodded emphatically, just so that he'd calm the fuck down. God, he was far worse than Jake at anger management. The only positive side to it was that I didn't have to deal with a wolf thrashing around in the living room, destroying furniture and shit.

Still, I moved as far away from him as possible while remaining in the room. I sat in a corner window chair, and waited for him to cool off.

A moment passed in silence, and Edward's anger seemed to simmer down a bit. _Phew, touchy vampires!_

I breathed a sigh of relief and waited for him to continue. It was a test of endurance on my part. The Band-Aid was being peeled off slowly.

"His name was Bradley Shultz," he muttered, turning his face to look straight into my eyes. "He had a regular job as a car mechanic."

A sudden, incessant itching began in my mind then, like a thought was trying to come forth but was unable to find its way through the labyrinth of other thoughts.

"Was that your… well thought-out food source?" I asked hesitantly, as his was still fuming.

His jaw twitched as he nodded, but he didn't lash out this time. "He had planned on enjoying the Friday night in his own special way. The same way he'd celebrated Christmas and New Year's, and some other random nights afterwards."

I was cringing at his words, a wave of nausea rising from the pit of my stomach. Why was he narrating a guy's happy life to me before he died such an untimely death?

"It gave him immense pleasure and satisfaction. And it was, according to him, a good way to get an adrenalin rush." A deep grimace settled on his handsome face then, so intense that I shrunk back in my chair. "That night, he was wondering who his favorite pick would be. Amelia, Rachel, Julia, or the one that he was eagerly following. He wondered if she'd fight back or take it all silently, like a martyr."

_Wait a sec, what was he talking about?_

The incessant thought was back, nudging away at my thick brain walls.

"He liked the ones who fought back, just for the pure joy of eventually overpowering them." Edward began clenching and unclenching his fists as he closed his eyes. I was certain that I heard a knuckle crack. "Of course, he didn't get the chance to reach his would-be victim that night."

Sudden clarity burst into my consciousness. It was a memory I didn't even know I had retained.

"_The mysterious death of a car mechanic may just bring forth some clues regarding the other murders that have shaken the Central Seattle area. It seems that the deceased, Bradley Shultz, had in his possession personal effects that belonged to a number of recent rape and murder victims. Authorities haven't officially released any further information on the case, but speculation has already begun…_"

_"…I think this guy was the rapist they've been looking for for the last couple of weeks or so. I bet it was revenge. A la Eye for an Eye."_

_"You and your theories…But I can't say I won't be happy if that turns out to be true."_

_"Yeah, I'd probably want to send flowers to whoever did this good deed."_

"_…the investigators aren't likely to have an easy job of it since the body, discovered only two days ago, is charred from head to toe, and is believed to have been decomposing at the deceased's home for more than a week. On the face of it, it looks like a possible kitchen accident, but the investigators are not ruling out foul play…_"

It wasn't difficult to put two and two together then.

The revelation was so overwhelming that I just sat there in my seat, unmoving and barely breathing. I felt a warm feeling well up inside my abdomen, like it was ready to burst through me.

I knew then how it felt to have butterflies in one's stomach.

* * *

**I hope that this chapter cleared a few things up. The Alice issue still remains, I know, but that's how the story flows. It'll come to its climax in its due course. (That doesn't mean that I don't love hearing your theories).**

**Please let me know how you're liking the story so far, even if something's pissing you off (like Bella :P). I tried to reply to reviews, but again, something was off in FFnet land. It took me a bazillion attempts to update my profile too (pulls hair). Please check it out if you have time, I've mentioned teasers and my other stories' status over there.  
**

**STORY NOTE- That Schraff guy was a real person. He was famous for getting the captured airmen to spill their guts. You can google him - _Hanns-Joachim Schraff_**

**Next update-next week.  
**

Special thanks to _**Emavalexis**_, my darling beta.


	13. Chapter 13

**Disclaimer****: **I don't own Twilight, but I may or may not own a certain type of torch.

**A/N:** I forgot to mention about the musical piece Edward had played for Bella. It was _**Chopin's Revolutionary Etude**_. You can google it if you like, it's a short but intense piece. :)

* * *

_It wasn't difficult to put two and two together then._

_The revelation was so overwhelming that I just sat there in my seat, unmoving and barely breathing. I felt a warm feeling well up inside my abdomen, like it was ready to burst through me._

_I knew then how it felt to have butterflies in one's stomach._

* * *

"You… you intercepted him ," I croaked, barely audible to my own ears.

Edward heard me though, and responded with a shrug. "Yeah, that was the plan, initially, but I didn't expect to find him like that. It was a mere coincidence, and I desperately needed to slake my thirst."

Was he trying to dispel the credit he deserved for saving God knows how many women? That was endearing, I'd say, but 'endearing' wasn't a word I associated with Edward. Like… ever.

"Yeah, you're a vampire that kills humans, and that's kinda sick in itself even if it's a staple for you guys, but…" I paused, wanting to articulate my feelings fully. "…You also did a favor to the world by ridding us of a monster who raped and murdered women. That counts."

He shrugged again. "It doesn't hurt that my hunting also provides me with food. That ought to make you sick, right?" I grimaced, and he nodded in a knowing manner. "Thought so…"

Ah, so _this_ was why he was hesitating to tell me? What an ass backwards approach.

"Edward, you do consider me capable of logical thought, no?" I asked, and he looked a little taken aback by my question.

"Yes, why?"

"Because if I know that you're a vampire, then I fucking well know what your food is. It's an established fact that vampires drink blood and not club soda." I rolled my eyes as I said that last part, because this whole issue was so ridiculous. "I already knew you were hunting people, damn it! We discussed it even, if not at length. You could've told me this a lot earlier, without all that hullabaloo." _And probably gotten laid much faster. Probably._

"Along with the fact that I torture and play with my food before eating it?"

"Even better, because that son of a bitch deserved every bit of torture in this world for what he did to his victims!"

Honestly, that torturing bit would've freaked me out under any other circumstance. But I kind of found it hot—in dark, twisted way. _Sing it, people, Bella's a sick fuck… sick fuck._

Edward stared at me as if I had grown antennas on my head. "You aren't sickened by it?"

I shook my head in an emphatic 'no'.

He kept staring at me, as if in a daze—which was now beginning to make me uncomfortable.

"Edward, what's the matter?" I knew what the matter was. When a vampire sees you as somewhat outlandish, then you know you've really reached a new level of craziness.

After a long stare-out, he finally let up. He looked relieved at my apparent approval of his method for punishing the guilty. I, in turn, felt relieved that at least this whole issue was finally sorted for good.

Suddenly, Edward's expression grew cloudy. "They were all minors, his victims. You know who the next one was going to be?"

I shook my head mutely, dreading the answer already. I had a hunch that I knew this person.

"Amy Cartright. She lives a few floors down from you."

_Oh, that bubbly little girl of no more than fifteen years! That sick bastard!_

He gave me a grim smile as he realized that I had made the connection. "She was heading to her friend's place for a sleepover, the one who lived in her neighborhood. Her parents didn't think of accompanying her for such a short distance."

"They're not very… aware I suppose," I muttered, feeling angry at their careless parenting. Amy was their only child; they should've been extra careful, considering the rise in sexual assault cases in the area.

The thought of her getting attacked and violated in that way… it left me numb, chilled to the bone.

She was going to die that night. She would've died, if not for Edward!

"From what I've been able to figure out, I'd been down south for a few months when he started. By the time I came back, five girls had lost their lives." Edward rose from the stool and reached me in a flash.

I had calmed myself by now, somewhat, so I didn't flinch at his sudden proximity. But really, his undulating moods still had me on an edge.

"I resolved to go after him, but initially, I didn't know _who_ was committing these crimes. So I patrolled the affected parts of the city all through the day and night, except that evening I spent with you."

As I listened to him, I wondered how his leaving me in a bout of thirst added up with the rest of the story.

"I sense more questions bubbling up inside you," he stated wryly, hunkering down near my feet. "When we were inside your apartment, I was focused solely on you. My thirst just snuck up on me from out of nowhere. I thought I had it under control, but apparently I didn't. I was just about to pull myself away from you when I heard his vile thoughts, only a few blocks away."

"You can hear thoughts from that long a distance?" I blurted, amazed at his ability.

"Yes. And his thoughts brought me the twin advantage of sating my hunger and completing the mission of hunting a criminal on my hit list. So I left you in a hurry to chase after him."

"And save Amy," I added, warmth welling up again inside me. That incident, which had pissed me off to no end, turned out to be something that I was now thankful for.

Amy was safe now, all because of a vampire who went after criminals—a killer of killers.

"So now I get it," I said, cocking my head in fascination. "You don't hunt mundane, innocent humans, but the ones who harm them. You choose not to hunt randomly, because you want to do your bit to benefit society."

He looked away. "You make me sound like a cheesy superhero."

"But what I said is true." He didn't argue against it. I suppose he wanted to keep the badass vampire image going or something. Such a _guy_ thing.

For a while we both remained quiet, and I utilized this time to look at him— _really_ look at him for the first time. Up until now, I had only focused on the vampiric side of him. But now, I was slowly becoming acquainted with Edward Cullen, the man.

There was so much more to him than his supernatural existence. I found myself fascinated by the thought of uncovering more layers to him.

"Bella, you're unusually quiet. That can't be a good thing." A lopsided smile graced his features as he met my gaze. Ah, so he was back to his playful self.

I rolled my eyes, which was only natural, because I was in his company. "I was wondering if you got your shit together, since you seemed to be on the verge of losing it a while back."

He caught my ankles and pulled them apart as he moved between my legs. I yelped at the feel of cold hands on my feet. "Smartass, you asked for it when you snipped at me without thinking. Did no one warn you about what happens when you try to pull a lion's tail?"

"Ha, poking lions is always fun!" I gasped, feeling his hands inching up my legs. "I must've hit a sensitive spot, hmm?"

"You're welcome to hit other sensitive spots on me, just not the ones that piss me off," he said, closing in for a kiss.

"So, you're the real life Dexter, eh?" I asked just as he was about to claim my lips.

"Dexter who?" His lips brushed against mine as he spoke.

"Don't you watch TV shows? He's a forensics guy who goes after criminals without getting himself caught in the process." I sounded geeky, and I blamed Angela for making me watch that show with her.

"Really? Just a usual guy with no superpowers or ninja fighting skills?"

"Nope." He nudged his nose against mine, and I was tempted to repeat the action.

Then he pulled away, looking offended. "No, I'm no Dexter. If I'm going to be a superhero figure, then it's Batman, and there's going to be no dispute regarding that."

"But he also doesn't have superhero powers," I argued, knowing it'd tick him off.

"I said there'd be no disputing that," he said sternly before moving in to nuzzle my neck.

"Ooh, touchy!" I teased, attempting to push him away. I was suddenly feeling very nervous at welcoming any sexual advances from him. That sudden eruption of vampire rage had left its mark on my mind, it seemed. Also, I hadn't had breakfast yet, and I was beginning to feel hungry.

Oh, but my body was readily responding to him, even when my mind objected. _That slut!_

He pushed me further into the chair as he hovered above me, pressing eagerly between my legs. _Oh, hello there, vampy woody._

"On a serious note, I didn't scare you, did I?" he whispered in my ear, earning a wobbly chuckle from me.

"You can't really be asking me that," I groaned, gripping his hair to pull him away from me as he started tickling me. "That shit you pulled probably emptied the surrounding forest of all wildlife."

"Oh, so that bit of growling scared you?" he asked as he slipped his hands beneath my shirt. "That's surprising, considering the way my growls turn you on when we fuck."

He growled playfully then, just to taunt me further as he groped me.

I could see where this was leading, and I needed to put a stop to it before it got out of hand. I hadn't even eaten anything yet, and he was already pouncing on me like a sex-starved beast.

"Edward, please, I ca—" I barely managed to say that before he sealed his lips over mine. I turned my head to break the kiss, and he shifted to keep my lips locked with his.

_Oh God, how was I going to survive this on an empty stomach?_

In a millisecond, my bra was undone. Cold hands fondled my breasts, paying special attention to my now hardened nipples. I arched into him, my body refusing to deny the lust any longer.

At long last, he let go of my lips, and I got a breather.

"Edward, umph…" I groaned as I felt his cold tongue on my nipple. "I'm hungry…"

"For me?" he asked, voice all husky and dripping with lust.

"No, you dumbass!" I yelped as he nipped and sucked on my sensitive breasts. "If… If I don't eat breakfast right about now—fuck!" His tongue swirled around my nipple. "M-My stomach's gonna play a concerto for you." That made him freeze.

Then, as if electrocuted, he jumped away from me, all panicked and shit. "Oh, you haven't eaten breakfast! Are you starving? Damn, I need to keep your human needs in mind."

He ran a hand through his hair repeatedly as I stood up and righted my clothes. And then he all but dragged me to the kitchen.

"It's okay, I'll eat now. Settle down. Jeez!" I huffed, annoyed by his pushiness.

"I have everything you may need for making a human meal," he said as he opened all the cabinets and cubbies and even the fridge for my benefit.

As I perused the packed kitchen to see what I could make use of, something caught my eye. In one of the shelves, there sat a kitchen utility that ought not to be there in a vamp's lair.

"Edward?" I turned toward him, pointing innocently toward the appliance. "What's that?"

I knew what the hell it was; I just wanted to know if _he_ knew what it was.

Edward's gaze followed to where I pointed, and then his face broke into an awkward smile. "Oh, _that_. Well, uh… I saw that you had recently bought one, so I thought I'd get one to keep here, just for your convenience. It's bigger, and better, and has multiple uses!"

Boy, was he excited about it.

He reached for the appliance and brought it to the kitchen counter, and all the while I just gawped at him.

_This had to be the funniest shit ever!_

Edward had bought me a torch! A motherfucking Butane Torch!

And he was several levels ahead of where I had gone. Oh my God… it was gigantic in comparison to the measly one I had at home.

I just about controlled my expression as he looked back at me expectantly. "You like it?"

"Umm…" I didn't know what to say.

"And you know what, I also bought an outdoor weed burning torch. It blasts flames like a dragon." He darted out of the kitchen and came back with an even bigger torch. He almost looked like an excited young boy who'd just gotten his hands on the latest cool gadget. "I never bothered to check these out before. Aren't they amazing?"

_He is _so_ going to set the front lawn on fire…_

I nodded silently, trying to hold in a fit of giggles. I wanted to thank him for being so considerate, but the risk of laughing in his face was too high.

"Bella, what's the matter?" He set his toy down and grabbed my shoulders, which were shaking with barely controlled, silent laughter. "Why is your face turning red? And why are you shaking?"

I pulled away from him and turned sideways; lest he saw my lips twitch. "Uh—" I feigned a coughing fit. "Thanks-a-lot-really-needed-it," I rushed the words out, then tried to take deep breaths to calm my freakin' giggle reflex.

I could hear Edward fidgeting behind me, like he was unsure as to what to do or say next. Just when it felt like he might say something, a shrill noise broke through the uncomfortable silence.

"That's my phone," he said, "I'll go check it."

Then he rushed from the kitchen like a bat out of hell, and I was free to have my fill of hushed giggles at his expense.

While I fixed myself a boatload of food—chocolate chip pancakes and a ham sandwich; damn, I was ravenous—I tried to listen to Edward talk on the phone. But the only thing I heard was a low buzz. Out of curiosity, I peeked out the kitchen entrance to see if I could hear what he was saying any clearer.

The buzzing noise turned out to be him speaking in tongues. Or at least that's how it appeared, because his lips were moving at super fast pace, his words a jumbled mess that were beyond comprehension to my human ears.

I sighed and went back to my merry breakfast making, chalking it all up to weirdo vampire traits.

Then it hit me.

If he was talking in a way no human could understand, it only meant one thing—a vampire was on the other side of the line.

_Shit, how many of Edward's vampy friends know about me now?_

Because of course he had vampy friends!

If you tried to see this through a vampire's perspective—you were immortal and unchanging, so it was only logical that you made friends with other immortals. Birds of a feather and such shit.

Still, the thought that I was probably exposing myself to other vampires was making me panic. Though I didn't know if Edward discussed me with them or not.

_Well, too late to worry about it anyway, dumbass._

I should've thought about such repercussions way before I willingly stepped into his world. I'd had the choice of avoiding it all, but I threw it away the evening I decided to meet him at _Drunken Dancing_.

And now, the doors had closed behind me.

A small voice in my head suggested that perhaps it wasn't too late yet, that I could still find my way back to the living. If Edward had kept our relationship a secret, then the others wouldn't know about me. I grabbed and held onto that tiny glimmer of hope.

My stomach grumbled nervously, reminding me that I needed to fill it with food to make it shut the hell up. I shrugged off the negative thoughts and went back to preparing breakfast. There was simply no point in fretting about things that were out of my control.

Edward's call stretched on and on, and sometimes his voice rose, like he was pissed off. It only ended when I was settled at the kitchen island, eagerly stuffing my face.

He came and sat in front of me, appearing both fascinated and disgusted at the same time.

"Sthop stharing ath me," I reproved as I ate the sandwich, feeling self conscious under his scrutiny. Chewing quickly, I washed it all down with tea.

Edward, the jackass that he was, picked up the plate of pancakes and presented them to me like an offering. I glared at him, but snagged them anyway.

"I can't help it, I like watching you eat," he said, still watching me intently.

"Why? Because I eat like a pig?" I asked, biting into the delicious pancakes, albeit with a little more finesse this time round.

"No, because it's such a human thing, like sleeping."

"You like watching me sleep too?"

He nodded. "Because sometimes, you sleep talk."

Well, this was becoming uncomfortable.

"So you like the little human things I do, eh? I fear the next thing you'd want to watch is me taking a bathroom break."

I expected a look of horror on his face, or the very least, a cringe or grimace. But no, he just laughed like a loon. A loud, vampire loon.

"No, I'd spare you that, but I'd surely want a shower show."

I just grumbled and went back to my beloved pancakes. Though the mental imagery of Edward watching me in shower was thrilling me to no end.

His gaze changed then, his expression almost nostalgic. "I actually miss the delicious flavors of different kinds of food. Most of them I can't even recall."

It struck me then, that my pancakes might have triggered a fond memory of his. Perhaps his mother's, though I wasn't sure, and I didn't ask. I wasn't certain that it was my place to ask for such private details.

"Do you lose your memories when you become a vampire?" I asked, deciding that a change of topic was required right now. I'd say that I was feeling for his loss, but in truth, I was uncomfortable.

Edward did answer, but after deliberating a bit first. "It's subjective. Some lose almost all of their memories; some can recall nearly all of their important ones. Some, like me, have shredded bits and pieces left. The sequence of those memories gets distorted. Sometimes they are so disjointed that it almost feels as if they're not mine but someone else's. I succeeded in restoring most of mine with the help of personal effects, records, literature and some historical footage."

That answer left a bad taste in my mouth. Though, it did become a little clearer as to why he sometimes acted in such a strange manner—as if he had never known how it was to be a human.

After finishing breakfast, we moved to the living room once again, where I sat in a lazy boy opposite Edward as he narrated the story of his life. I might have cringed here and there; it was pulling me into questionable emotional territory. I wasn't sure I wanted to go there with him.

He told me that he had always been passionate about flying. So much so, that his love for music took a back seat. He began taking flying lessons in his early teens, given to him by his very own uncle—the one to blame for initiating his aviation addiction.

Eventually, Edward even left his legal internship with his dad to gain as much flying time as possible. He had wanted to join the aviation industry as a pilot, but then the war had broken out, compelling him to set his sights on the Air Force.

His parents, who had pinned their hopes for him on either a legal or a musical career, were devastated when he told them about wanting to join Royal Canadian Air Force.

He had ignored their please for him to stay back home as the war spread through Europe.

"I just _had_ to be there, in the thick of it. I didn't care to think about the consequences of my actions back then." He looked away from me, probably because he was trying to hide that part of himself, the one that felt that he had let his parents down. I let him keep that to himself for now.

"What year was it?" I asked, barely able to keep myself from cringing, knowing how old he was.

"June, 1940. I earned my wings in February, 1941."

"But we hadn't even joined the war at that time," I exclaimed, recalling whatever I knew about the war. "And hey, why'd you join the _Canadian_ Air Force? What was wrong with joining your own country's?"

He smiled, still not glancing my way. "I was unqualified to join the USAAC, as I hadn't even started college by then. But I was eager to join the action in Europe, and the RCAF was one of the fastest routes to that."

"USAAC?" I blurted, confused as hell again. "Not USAF?"

He shook his head in an emphatic no. "It was the United States Army Air Corps. USAF wasn't born yet."

"But earlier, you mentioned something about a Fighter Group of Eighth AF. What was that about?"

"The Fourth Fighter Group," he replied with a touch of impatience. "I was posted to a squadron which was part of that group. It was later transferred to the US Eighth AF, when United States officially joined the war."

Okay, I felt like a total dumbass now. I should've googled everything regarding WWII prior to opening this Pandora's Box.

I stretched back into the chair, attempting to appear cool and detached. "So, how _did_ you become a vampire?" _Yeah, better shift the war talk to future discussions until I get well-versed in it._

"You cut straight to the point, don't you?" Edward laughed darkly, still looking away, his expression haunted. "Well, I told you about the hidden agenda the Nazis had. That's how I was changed; when I was at their secret prison. They simply used me as a guinea pig, because apparently I was a perfect specimen of a human being—in top physical shape and with quick reflexes."

Alright, another bomb had just been dropped on me. Apparently, the Nazis knew how to make vampires. That shit was seriously fucked up and creepy. I actually shuddered as I thought about it.

I took a deep breath first to calm myself for the umpteenth time today. It seemed like there were a few more evils remaining inside the Pandora's Box of Edward's past.

The only thing that gave me some consolation was that the Nazis were now a thing of the past. And the fact that they still lost the war, while knowing how to make vampires—strong immortals that could've annihilated the Allied Powers—was kind of a new level of dumb in itself.

I giggled impulsively, making Edward eye me with caution. At least he was finally looking at me again after a fucking eternity.

"I think I've overwhelmed you. You need a break."

"No I don't," I responded, still resolved to see this fuckery to its end. "We continue, and there's gonna be no breaks till you fully tell me how you became a vampire. Every fucking bit."

"Yes, Ma'am." He rolled his eyes and shrugged in an overly dramatic way. "As per your stubborn wishes."

I dismissed his histrionics with a wave of my hand. "Whatever. So, the Nazis changed you? And how the fuck did they ever know how to do that?"

Edward sighed. "They didn't know, but they knew someone who did."

And then _I_ sighed, because surely, it was going to be a long, long day indeed. There was much to be covered.

* * *

**There was a lot of info packed in this chapter. Certain realizations have hit Bella, but I suppose she'd get over the fact that she actually has immersed herself in the vamp world now, and there's no going back. Right, why'd she want to go back?  
**

**I hope Bella's snark is keeping you entertained. It sure does keep Edward amused. And the weed torch is actually kinda awesome, I was building up to its great revelation with bits about Brulee torch. lol  
**

**STORY NOTES- All the War related info so far has been authentic. There really was a 4th FG of the 8th AF. OPERATION ARGUMENT, also known as THE BIG WEEK, is also real. Also, for those of you who wonder how an American could enlist in the RCAF-yes, it was possible at that time. Many young guys who wanted to join the USAAC but hadn't the requisite qualifications, joined either the RCAF or the RAF. If you google that shit (like Bella plans to do herself) it'd become clear to you.**

** If you still have any doubts, then PM me and I'll try to clear them. :)  
**

**Next update-After the 3rd Nov, because I have some really crucial exam papers till then. That's why I upaded early, because I won't have the time to do it later on.  
**

Special thanks to _**Emavalexis**_, my darling beta.


	14. Chapter 14

**Disclaimer****: **I don't own Twilight, but I may or may not own a certain type of torch. Also, I love Germans and Germany. They're a great lot, and I'm actually related to a few. There's no German hate going in this story, just to be in the clear. _KTHANXBAI!_

**A/N:** So, uh, yeah, an update. I just got a breather between my exams (thank the lord for small mercies), so I'm posting this chapter. I know the schedule is off, but trust me, I'm trying my best to stick to regular updates. The exam schedule is a nasty bitch, seriously. I have to write 2 exams in a day, both 3 hrs duration. D: _meep!_

Anyway, I'll shut up and let you guys read.

* * *

Lights, there were big, bright lights above my head. Someone was saying something… in whispers. I couldn't understand a word.

I tried to move, but was unable to do so. I was being held down… by something, I didn't know what. There were a few men standing at a distance, wearing surgical masks.

I tried to talk to them, to ask where I was, but that ability was also blocked.

It was all very disorienting.

I wondered where Edward was…

I wondered who these people were…

I knew I was present in that room, but it felt like I wasn't. I felt like a ghost.

And then, suddenly, one of them came forward and hovered near me, a syringe in hand. I jerked back in terror.

The syringe had vampire venom in it —I didn't know how, but I knew.

Edward… where was he?

Suddenly, the crowd receded back, leaving only the guy with the syringe standing next to me. That's when I saw where Edward was.

He was lying on a medical table adjacent to me. His hands and feet were tied to it.

Why wasn't Edward using his super strength to break the binds?

He was struggling, just like me, and his green eyes were filled abject terror.

Green eyes… not red. There was something wrong. Terribly wrong.

Edward wasn't pale, as I remembered him. And he was sweating.

He was human!

I gasped in shock, my heart hammering in my chest.

The guy with the syringe took a step closer to Edward, the needle aimed toward his twitching bicep.

My struggles to free myself renewed.

Edward was going to be harmed, and I wanted do something—anything—to stop it from happening. But my own invisible binds weren't giving.

And then the guy rammed the syringe into Edward's skin.

I watched in horror as Edward cried in pain, his struggles increasing multifold, but not having any effect on his binds. His face twisted in agony and his whole body shook in spasms.

The venom was spreading fast, flowing into his system like liquid fire. It was burning him from the inside!

_No!_

I wanted to scream, but nothing came out from my mouth except gasps.

I wanted to fucking beat the crap out of everyone in that room.

I wanted to fucking murder that guy who had inflicted such pain on Edward.

_"Stop it! Just stop it, you motherfucker, leave him alone,_" I wanted to yell.

Edward's voice, drenched in pain and shock, resounded around me… each cry louder than the next.

I shuddered in his pain… in his suffering.

It was my pain as well. I'd willingly take it from him, if that's what it took to save him.

But I wasn't given the choice. Instead, I was subjected to witnessing his suffering.

I suffered with him…

His screams rose and rose, mingled with my silent wheezing.

And then he was gone, taken away from me, out of the room. I could hear his painful wails from beyond the walls of this chamber.

His cries became progressively faint, until dissipating altogether.

I knew what would happen to him in the coming three days, but I was powerless to stop it.

In my mind, I screamed and screamed… until cold water splashed across my face.

With a jerk, I opened my eyes to an unfamiliar setting—a spacious room with a comfy bed. My vision wavered, and it felt as if I was inside someone else's body, experiencing everything through a medium of sorts. It was like tunnel-vision.

Suddenly, cold hands wrapped around my face, nimble fingers pulling wet tendrils of hair out of my eyes. My whole body jerked and trembled in response.

"Bella? Bella, are you alright?" a familiar, yet desperate sounding voice called, pulling me further into awareness.

I turned toward the source of that voice. Ruby eyes stared back at me, anxious and questioning. It took me a while to focus enough to see his whole face, but when I did, relief flooded inside me.

"Edward! Oh my God, Edward!" I rasped and jumped upon him, clinging to him like a Koala. "Fuck, I thought I had… Fuck!"

It was a dream! A stupid, harmless dream! Edward was safe and sound.

And hey, when did I fall asleep? As far as I remembered, I was sitting with him in the living room while he told me about how he was changed.

Fuck, I must've dozed off right there! And the fucker didn't wake me. He'd just brought me upstairs to his bedroom.

"Bella, you thought you had what?" He chuckled as he held me in his arms, albeit, there was an edge to his seemingly light laugh. "What _were_ you dreaming about, Kitten?"

"I… I…" I struggled to explain it to him. What would I say, that I was transported to the time and place where he was changed into a vampire? That my subconscious was playing tricks on me?

It was all his fault anyway, for telling me everything in such great detail that it now haunted me.

"You were screaming the house down. I'd say that whatever was left of the wildlife here has now gone into hiding as well." He rocked me back and forth as we sat there on the bed, embracing like long lost lovers or some shit.

"Oh God," I groaned, my ears heating up in embarrassment. "Was I talking too, along with the screaming?"

"No, just emitting plain old horror-show noises," he murmured, turning his face to kiss my now burning ears with his cold lips. That brought me some much needed relief.

"It was a nightmare," I said, sighing in pleasure as he switched to my other ear.

"Really? I'd never have guessed." he replied between kisses.

"Smartass…" I grabbed his hair and pulled his lips to mine. I was desperate to forget the dream, desperate to shake off whatever I had felt in it.

I tried to deepen our kiss, wanting my own physical proof that Edward was there with me and not in some creepy chamber with mad docs. I guess I was feeling shaken and out of my depth, and I needed a distraction. What better distraction than Edward himself?

"Bella, what's the matter?" Edward asked between my frantic kisses.

"Need you. Now." I pulled at his clothes like a woman possessed, and he willingly helped me along, relieving me of my clothes as well.

And then I all but plastered myself on top of his glorious nakedness. His arctic temperature made me shiver, but more in pleasure than in discomfort.

"I'm slightly colder here, I think, because of the greenery that surrounds this place," he said in a somewhat strangulated voice as I seized him in my hand and attacked his nipples with my mouth.

"Like I fucking care," I mumbled between my licking and biting on his tightened flesh.

I kept pumping my hand up and down on him as I trailed my mouth down his abdomen and navel. His abs clenched and strained against my lips. I was mesmerized by the beauty of his form.

"God, I'd have wanted to go a little slower, but fuck it, just please suck me off, will you?" he grunted, nearly lifting himself off the bed when I squeezed him hard.

_You don't even have to ask…_

Edward mumbled a few incoherent words of approval as I went down on him, but I paid him no mind. I was enjoying myself. He tasted amazing, and metaphorically, he was a forbidden candy that I indulged in.

Tentatively, my hands massaged his balls, and the look that came over his face was priceless. His ever-sharp vampire eyes lost their focus and his mouth parted in a gasp of pleasure. And when I used my teeth to tease him, a string of primal growls erupted from his throat.

Needless to say, it didn't take him long to climax.

I then crawled over him and straddled him, taking him inside me slowly as I sat down. Oh, it felt as wonderful as ever. My whole body buzzed with excitement; I felt like a junkie who was getting a fix.

Edward's coal-black eyes burned into mine as I began to move up and down on him. His gaze was so intense that for a moment I faltered and froze in place. I didn't remember him watching me like that before, like he was turning me inside out. I couldn't break away; I didn't want to.

I was a willing captive.

A gasp escaped me as he shifted and began to thrust into me. His hands moved up to tease my breasts, but he didn't break eye contact with me. I moaned and pushed myself into his naughty pair of hands.

His touch soon became aggressive; pinching and pulling on my stiffened flesh. I leaned ahead to ease the pressure, but he didn't stop the incessant tugging. It was bordering on painful, but so intense in pleasure that I didn't care.

"Oh!" A shock of fresh arousal washed over me as he roughly rolled my nipples between his fingers.

"Does it hurt?" he asked, seemingly fascinated with his own little discovery of my body.

"Mhh, a little," I mumbled, my head already in the clouds by now, even though my eyes were still trapped in his hypnotic gaze.

"Then ask me to soothe it," he said cockily, tweaking my nipples again.

_Argh, manipulative bastard!_

"Make it better please," I moaned huskily, knowing it'd spur him on, grinding myself frantically on his hardness. "Soothe me, Edward."

I felt myself clench as I begged him. Apparently, I liked this sick game of pain and pleasure.

Edward sat up and gave me his healing tongue treatment. His twirling tongue was like magic. I arched and swiveled against him, approaching orgasm.

He began growling the moment my climax hit me. I grabbed his shoulders and clutched him to me as I spasmed, groaning and gasping. He kept thrusting into me, keeping the rhythm going.

Soon, his growls grew louder. He moved quickly to sit on his knees, lifting me onto his body without any effort. This position reminded me of Halloween, though it was so different in so many ways.

I felt him move deeper inside me, and I moaned in delight, pulling at his hair as I felt another orgasm rip through me.

Our mouths came together in a searing kiss. For a moment, Edward stopped moving and just kissed me, taking his time exploring my mouth while he remained sheathed deep inside me. It was mind-blowingly erotic.

I kissed him back with equal fervor, feeling a strange warmth spread inside me. I hadn't felt so emotionally charged in a long time; and for the time being, I didn't shy away from it.

Edward kissed down my neck along a familiar path, and I knew what was coming next. I wasn't feeling freaked out anymore; it felt natural. A tiny gasp passed my lips as his fingernail cut my skin. Then his lips were on me, coaxing my blood out with gentle suction.

He kept rocking into me, releasing grunts of pleasure as he drank from me. My eyes were snapping open, then shut, as I tried assimilate the ensuing sensory overload caused by this act. I knew I was spinning toward another orgasm.

Soon, Edward pulled away and released inside me with an animalistic cry, brining me to my most intense orgasm of all. I kept quivering long after it was over.

As we wound down, he laid me back on the bed and licked my cut. The resultant burn eased and went away within seconds.

"Why does it disappear?" I asked, my voice still raspy from exertion.

"Why does what disappear?" He was breathing into my neck, the coldness giving me goose bumps.

"The cut mark, after you lick it, it disappears." I yawned, feeling exhausted and sleepy again. God, I thought I was through with the sleep. I suppose sex with a vampire did that to you.

"The venom," he explained, planting wet kisses from my neck to between my breasts. "It heals and renews the epidermis… if applied on unbroken skin and closed wounds."

"Mhh, could've worked wonders as an anti-ageing serum, eh?" I sighed as he proceeded to suck on my nipples. Damn, I was getting hot again.

"And then there'd have been countless lawsuits filed for unsolicited vampirification if people accidentally applied it on open cuts." He laughed against my chest, looking relaxed and happy and… human.

I needed to stop thinking of him in terms of vampire versus human. It was seriously fucked up, and it really didn't matter. He was Edward… just Edward.

"You just invented a word, I think," I said, smiling and running my fingers through his wild locks.

"Yeah, behold the genius in me." He pulled me against his chest as he moved to lie on his back. It felt strangely comfy, considering his hard body and all.

I felt the soft brush of fabric on my naked back as he pulled the heavy covers over me. Sleep took me soon after, and it was blissfully nightmare free.

* * *

I woke up sometime later and noticed that the sky had darkened. Where had the day gone?

Edward wasn't around, and it was fine by me. I wasn't the clingy sort. I actually needed a few moments to myself, just to get my head straightened out.

Untangling myself from the covers, I headed for the bathroom. A nice hot shower seemed tempting. It'd relax a few sore muscles here and there. I wasn't bruised, but I knew that Edward had grabbed me a little too tightly on occasion. And I had enjoyed every moment of it.

As I stepped under the warm spray of water, my mind wandered back to Edward's past. _As if that nasty dream wasn't enough…_

Turns out that the Nazis were involved in a hush-hush program to build an invincible army. They were desperate for any kind of breakthrough, as the Allied Powers were gaining on them. The apparent breakthrough came in the form of a mysterious, heretofore unknown scientist, who was also a vampire. _Surprise, surprise!_

The Nazis didn't suspect much about his 'otherness' since they were benefiting from him.

Edward, though, knew something was terribly off the moment he was presented to him like an exhibit. His Jedi mind reading trick had kicked in, and he was able to deduce that Dr. Frankenstein—that's what I'm calling him, fuck the real name—wanted to conduct a _little_ experiment on him.

The experiment had been to inject diluted vampire venom into Edward's bloodstream, to see if it provided extra strength without fully changing him into a vampire. Dr. Frankenstein had stored a bit of that venom in a vial, kept under the vigilant care of the Nazis. He didn't tell them what it was, just that it was the serum of strength or some shit, and that it could be toxic.

And then, just days before he had planned to run his experiment on Specimen A—Edward, he had been reported missing in action. No one knew what happened to him, just that he never returned to secret facility where Edward was kept. Edward suspected that he was exterminated in an air raid; apparently vampires weren't immune to bombs.

So seeing that Dr. Frankenstein wasn't coming back, the Nazis took it upon themselves to see the experiment through, even without knowing it in depth. Well, epic fail, I'd say, because dilution did nothing to decrease the potency of the venom. Edward did change into a vampire, and then he munched on those bastards right after.

I sighed as I turned the shower off and grabbed a towel.

As I dried myself, I tried to recall what Edward had been telling me about, right before I fell asleep. It had something to do with how he managed to escape Germany… about another vampire helping him out, but my stupid human body chose to call time-out right then, damnit!

I suppose I was overwhelmed, and kind of tired too, but nodding off in the middle of a conversation was rude.

"I think you've dried yourself enough."

I started and turned around, the towel slipping from my hands. Under normal circumstances, it'd have fallen to the ground, but Edward grabbed hold of it before it could descend past my waist. Vampire reflexes came in handy sometimes.

"You really need to stop sneaking up on me," I reproved in a small voice, seeing as he was ogling me with rapidly darkening eyes.

"I don't do it intentionally." He swallowed thickly, his Adam's apple wobbling. "Stealth comes naturally to our kind."

"It startles me," I said as I stepped closer to him to retrieve my towel from his grasp, which was currently on the verge of being shredded apart. He was gripping it way too tightly.

"My apologies?" He noticed me eyeing the towel and finally had the sense to ease his hold.

Suddenly, a draft of chilly evening air entered the bathroom, leaving me shivering in its wake. Edward noticed, and immediately wrapped the towel around me, giving me an apologetic smile.

"Wait here, I'll bring you a robe."

He darted to his closet and brought back a thick, fluffy one, all before I could utter a single word of protest. I didn't need a robe, after all; I was going to get dressed in my usual night clothes.

But I took it from him and slid it on anyway, just to humor him. How could I berate a guy for being attentive?

I decided to keep it on while I made dinner.

"So, how strong _was_ this Jedi mind trick of yours, you know, when you were human?" I asked conversationally as I gathered ingredients for dinner. I was intrigued at how a human may have possessed any such ability. Could Edward have been supernatural from birth?

"It wasn't strong, to begin with. And it wasn't constant," he replied, his brows knitting together as he watched me wield a knife. "It manifested itself sporadically and had no pattern whatsoever. For a long time I used to think that it was my mind playing tricks on me or something. During the war I considered it a symptom of war related stress."

I was amazed; he really _was_ supernatural, even as a human. I somehow felt inferior now, considering that I was so… boring and average. After all, what distinctive quality did I have, except mostly being a bitch? Or taking supernatural lovers? God, I didn't even want to think about the latter.

"I think deep down I knew that I had an extra sense or something." Edward continued, unaware of my terrible musings. I was glad that he couldn't read my mind. "It sure did become fully operational once I changed."

"It almost seems as if your Jedi power was waiting for a trigger," I remarked, wondering if he was destined to become something more than human.

He shrugged. "That's one way to look at it. But I don't like to dwell too much on it. I believe it's best to just accept it and make good use of it."

"Such a superhero thing to say." I shook my head and bit back a smile.

Edward crossed his arms and leaned against the counter, his gaze still stuck on my hands as I chopped my way through the veggies. I waited for him to deliver a retort on my superhero comment, but it never came.

"I can cut them for you," he offered, waving at the batch of bell peppers that hadn't met the knife yet.

"I prefer to do it on my own." I gave him a reassuring smile, hoping that I didn't sound rude or bitchy. It wasn't my intention to offend him; I was just used to my own ways and wanted it to remain that way. Besides, what did he know about meal prep anyway?

He cocked his head as a crooked grin graced his face. "You think that I'm useless in the kitchen."

I feigned a look of horror. "Edward Cullen can never be useless. He knows how to handle any task. He's Batman!"

He rolled his eyes. "I just wanted to help. That knife looks dangerous in your hands."

"Oh please, if I can handle you, I can handle a measly knife."

"But the knife isn't as much fun." He winked suggestively, coaxing a giggle out of me.

Edward kept hovering around me until I was done preparing dinner. He then insisted on cleaning up while I ate. I didn't argue about it… much.

As I ate, I decided to go back to the point where I had fallen asleep during his narration. "Edward, I never got to the part where you were rescued from behind enemy lines. You were telling me about a vampire who came looking for you."

"Yeah, you looked so peaceful as you slept, I didn't have the heart to disturb you." He turned to look at me while he scrubbed the counter. His eyes were twinkling with mischief.

"No, you didn't wake me because you have a pervy hobby of ogling sleeping women."

"Don't forget about the bathroom fetish."

"Yeah, there's a reason I always lock the door."

"Like a door latch is enough to keep me out."

"Enough! Just please can we get back to where we were before I dozed off?" I ground out, too frustrated to exchange verbal vollies with him.

"Alright, Kitten, a vampire helped me," he said as he came to sit beside me on the kitchen island. "He knew about the experiment Johan wanted to perform on me."

"How? Did he know Dr. Frankenstein?"

"Calling him Frankenstein uses much more energy than simply calling him by his given name, Bella. It's a waste of breath." Edward raised his eyebrow, waiting for me to argue against what he suggested.

"Johan what's his name, whatever. Now answer my question," I responded flippantly, polishing off the remains of my dinner.

"You're beyond pushy sometimes. But I'll indulge you." He gave me a look that was probably reserved for whiny toddlers. "Yes, Carlisle knew Johan. They had done research together on vampire physiology. When the war struck, Johan sided with Axis powers. He was a Bavarian, and he identified with many of Hitler's philosophies. As for Carlisle, well, he was English and staunchly anti-Axis."

I blinked a few times as I assimilated all that, and one bit of info just flashed at me with neon signs. "Carlisle? As in… Dr. Carlisle Cullen?"

Edward nodded. "You're fast, I'll give you that."

"Isn't he supposed to be, like, your uncle?" I asked, staring at him incredulously.

"Yes, he's my pretend uncle. Sometimes, he promotes himself to Dad. Sometimes, I demote him to elder brother." Edward chuckled as he said the last bit.

"God, my head would start to hurt soon, I'm sure," I muttered, already rubbing my forehead with my fingers. "So, Mad Doc told Dr. Cullen about you. Why?"

"Because he wanted to convince Carlisle to come with him to Germany and aid him in building hybrid humans. I was supposed to be an observational experiment. He intended to dispose of me as soon as he achieved the desired results." Edward's expression was blank, but I saw the pure hatred that burned in his eyes.

Without thinking, I grabbed his hand—which he was clenching in anger—and tried to give it a reassuring squeeze. He relaxed considerably.

"So, Dr. Cullen crossed the enemy lines to rescue you, a complete stranger. Wow…"

"Yeah, Carlisle's like that. He knew that I was eventually going to be killed, and he wanted to save my life. What he didn't expect was my transformation at the hands of the Nazis."

Edward pulled me out of my seat and into his lap. I saw that he was getting restless and tried to calm him by running my fingers through his hair. He purred in response.

"I suppose you were still inside the secret prison when he found you?"

"Yes, and I was planning to leave soon. I had mostly polished off the staff and the scientists due to newborn munchies."

"_Newborn_ munchies?" I quirked my eyebrow, since the word 'newborn' was kind of strange to use for a vampire. I associated it with wriggly babies and diapers.

Now he looked downright uncomfortable in answering me. What the hell! "Uh, newborn vampires are almost always ravenous. Even with Carlisle's help, it took about a year to have control over my thirst. Before that, I just resorted to sniffing bleach to avoid the scent of human blood. It really helped while we traveled, as contact with humans was sometimes inevitable."

I found the bleach part to be comical, but chose not to press him for details. I had no use of that knowledge anyway. He could go and sniff anything as long as it curbed his 'munchies'.

"What are you thinking?" he asked, pulling my hands out of his hair. My fingers itched to bury themselves in there again.

"Hmm, do my blocked thought processes tease you?" I smirked at him, and his eyes narrowed in response. Good, the deflection worked.

"You have no idea. Not a day passes where I don't wonder why your thoughts are denied to me."

"Any theories regarding that?" I personally thought that I was somehow wrong in the head. I did suffer a few nasty head bumps as a toddler, when I'd topple over due to my head's weight. At least that's what my Mom told me.

"I think your brain is on a different frequency from the others. It's like they're FM and you're AM, and I only have an FM tuner in my head."

I laughed at his theory; even though it did kind of make sense. "Better get your tuner upgraded then."

He laughed with me, but then his gaze turned heated. Amidst all the laughing, my robe had loosened, giving him quite an eyeful of my breasts. Soon, Edward's hands loosened it further as he caressed and kissed his way down my body.

And then I clutched and held on to his head as his tongue slid inside me. _Ah, bliss…_

* * *

**Ah, so more info in this chapter. Carlisle's connection to Edward is cleared. The Nazi stuff is covered. Bella is still in quasi-denial toward her feelings for Edward. Hmm... now let's tackle the Alice issue in the coming chapters. The blondy cometh! :D**

**Sorry for the incoherent A/N before the chapter. I'm still suffering from exam goggles. And sorry if I don't respond to reviews, I'm tied to my books and shit. I'd get back to you after this madness ends. Thanks!**

** If you still have any doubts regarding anything in this story, then PM me and I'll try to clear them. :)  
**

**Next update-God only knows when. I still have 2 more exams left in this lap. I'll try to update soon, though. It won't be like a month long break or anything. A little more than a week in wait I suppose. Please bear with me. :*  
**

Special thanks to _**Emavalexis**_, my darling beta.


	15. Chapter 15

**Disclaimer****: **I don't own Twilight. I don't own Breaking Dawn. Or else, there would be more headboard breaking!

**A/N:** Finally I found the much needed relief from my exams. So here's the update. I hope you like it.

* * *

"Edward, just what the hell are you doing?" I called from upstairs as I dressed myself hurriedly.

I had just popped out of the shower and managed to pull on my underwear when the smell of something burning alerted me. Edward was nowhere around, so that had to be his doing.

"Edward!" I yelled again, knowing that he could hear me with his goddamned bat ears. "Are you setting the house on fire or something?"

Again, no response came. That had me worried, so I dashed downstairs, stubbing my toe on the handrail and almost tripping before stepping off the last step.

What I discovered wasn't what I had expected, but still, it was better than my worst fears involving Edward and fire.

He was in the kitchen, throwing something in the trash with a look of abject disappointment on his face. A huge cloud of smoke surrounded him. Even the smoke chimney couldn't pull it away quickly enough.

One look at him and I burst into howling laughter. He just stared at me in silent indignation.

"Way to appreciate my efforts at cooking breakfast for you." Okay, not so silent.

"It's hilarious, and you know it!" I walked over to him and tried to see what he had just dumped in the trash. "What the hell were you trying to cook, anyway?"

"Fried eggs and toast, nothing very fancy."

I looked back at him, and yep, he was still pissed, as if it was the poor eggs' fault. They had failed him.

"I think I told you that I can make my own meals, no need for your helping hand." I began with the process of cleaning up, beginning with the stove. "And it looks like your help might just make it tougher."

He growled at my last remark, but I just shook my head and continued cleaning. Then he snatched everything from my hands and told me to leave the kitchen, all the while zipping about and scrubbing everything in his wake.

"You're really annoying," I grumbled, walking over to the island stool and hopping on it. Yeah, like I'd leave on his command. "Do you even know how to clean it all properly? You don't even use the kitchen. And it's not the usual kitchen mess like the one you cleaned last night."

He growled again, a little louder this time, and amped it up with a glare in my direction. "Being a vampire doesn't equal to being an imbecile, Isabella. I've read the instructions, and I'll have you know, the way _you_ were trying to clean up wasn't exactly the right way to go about it. So quit nagging."

"And I'll have you know, for future reference, that I don't want another fire in the kitchen. It's too pretty to be wasted on vampire pigheadedness."

I knew that my words would only add fuel to his volatile temper, but I kind of liked seeing him angry. Rage looked hot on him.

Suddenly, he dumped the cleaning supplies and stalked toward me in a distinctive predatory move. I sat a little straighter on my perch and didn't flinch when he got really close and in my face. He was trying to stare me down, and I was trying not laugh in his face.

Or to jump him right then and there.

His hand came up and halted mid-air, as if something stopped him. He closed his eyes—which had darkened to a pitch black by now—and moved away from me with a sigh.

"Your phone is buzzing away upstairs."

"Oh!" I leapt down and ran upstairs to see who was calling, hoping it was Alice. I nearly face-planted myself on the way, tripping over a step.

Edward could've made it easier on me by bringing me the phone, but he was probably enjoying my floundering as a payback for pissing him off. Asshole.

I fished my phone out of my handbag and looked at the caller ID. Alice indeed. All at once, I felt relieved as well as anxious. Relieved because she was initiating contact, and anxious because I wondered what prompted her to call me in the morning itself.

"Hey, Al, what's up? How's the stuffy nurse treating you?" I tried to sound carefree and shit, but somehow, I knew she wouldn't be fooled.

"Hey Bella, the nurse is gone now. I told Dad to shoo her away yesterday." She laughed, which was a very good sign. "I mean, all she did was badger me and give me the meds. And I was like, _I can take the meds myself without having to deal with your annoying ass, thank you very much!_"

"Good, she was getting on my nerves the last time. Anyway, that doesn't mean that you should be careless about meds. I hope you're taking them as prescribed."

"I'm doing fine, hon, it's not rocket science. And I'm actually feeling way better than before. Know what? I'm helping Christy plan the Velveteen Valentine party for the coming weekend!"

Uh, oh… that goddamn party. And here I was already planning the next weekend with Edward. In my head, of course.

And when was Valentine's Day anyway? Ah, yeah, Monday.

"Wow, that's really good," I said without a stitch of enthusiasm.

"Bella? What the hell, you don't even sound remotely excited about it."

"Why would a Valentine's Day party excite me?" I asked rather grumpily, already formulating excuses in my head to try and avoid the affair.

"Uh, it's supposed to be a party for both worlds."

"Both worlds?"

"The couples as well as the singles. It's gonna be bigger than the one we threw last year. And I remember that you enjoyed yourself last year." She was whining now, oh lord.

"Alice, I just got drunk and then crashed at your apartment, the nearest place I could without getting myself in trouble. You call that enjoyment?" I really didn't want to remember that night. It was one of those shitty nights where I simply guzzled alcohol and cursed my past with Jacob.

Thinking back, it doesn't even seem like I had a really great thing going with Jake anyway. Then why had I been so hung up on him?

"C'mon Bella, this time you're going to like it. It's an open party, not just limited to the employees. People are bringing their spouses and even friends to attend. I mean, you can bring hi—someone with you… if you'd like to." She added the last part with a lot of hesitance. And just like that, we were back in the Twilight Zone.

I didn't know how to respond. Would it be advisable to just play along and be candid about this shit, just like that day in her bedroom? I wasn't very sure about it, considering that Edward was downstairs and was probably listening to this conversation. He'd definitely want to know more then.

"Bella, don't you dare zone out on me!" Alice's voice was laced with impatience and irritation. Damn…

"Um, Alice, I don't know, I'll have to think about it. But leave that for now. I just want you to be careful about your health. I mean, it's great that you're helping Christy, but don't forget to rest afterwards." I said nothing more, because I had the feeling it'd sound overbearing and irrational.

"God, I only had an asthma attack, not a stroke! And my doc said I don't need to worry anymore." I could hear the mega eye roll accompanying her words. "Bella, I'm not going to change the way I live just because I've see—fallen sick once in a blue moon. I want to enjoy life… do my thing, you know. I won't let one episode put a damper on it."

"Yeah, I get it. All that coddling that your Dad has unleashed on you is driving you nuts," I joked, angling my ear in the direction of stairs. I could hear Edward puttering in the kitchen again. Good, at least he was distracted.

"Yeah, I had to literally push him to go back to work. I suppose Christy assured him that she'd _take care_ of me. And I'm humoring her… whatever. By the way, she's missing you. She wanted you to come and help in the preparations."

I groaned aloud. I hated this party planning shit. "Wow, how come she didn't call me to come over? Because knowing her, she'd have done that."

"I told her you had prior plans that couldn't be cancelled."

_Crickets…_

"Uh, yeah, thanks for making the excuse on my behalf."

"It wasn't an excuse, it was the truth." She sounded _so_ innocent as she said that, I didn't know how to respond. "So, how's the weekend going anyway?"

Was she really asking me _that_?

"Um, going good." That was as vague an answer as possible.

"Yeah, I can _see_ that."

"What?" I blurted nervously.

"Uh, I mean that… that you sound like you're having a great time," she responded, sounding flustered.

I sighed. _Here we go again…_

"Yes, I _am_ having a great time, Alice. You need not worry." There, I said it, if that was what was bothering her—my being around a dangerous supernatural creature. Ugh, did she even know that?

The other end of the line remained silent, leading to a lull in the conversation. That made me supremely uncomfortable.

"Alice? You there?" I asked tentatively.

"Yeah, got a little distracted." She exhaled loudly, and in the background I heard a shuffling noise. "Anyway, I'm gonna have to hang up now, need to do loads of stuff. See ya on Monday, kay?"

_Wow, abrupt much?_

"Yeah, take care, and don't forget your meds and shit."

"Okay, Mom!"

We shared an awkward laugh and then she hung up. Something wasn't right. Alice sounded way too chirpy, when she had been downright gloomy the last time I'd seen her.

I put my phone away and went downstairs, vacillating over whether I should tell Edward about Alice and her weirdo routine. More importantly, there was that elusive blond man in the picture as well. That was something I knew I must inquire about. But yeah, I was stalling. Because I specifically didn't want to include Alice in the picture.

My indecisions were momentarily forgotten as I neared the kitchen. The rich aroma of honey and vanilla bombarded me, making my mouth water.

Upon entering the kitchen, a heretofore unlikely sight greeted me.

Edward was at the stove again, but there was no smoke surrounding him, nor any sign of food burning. Instead, he was busy making… something delicious, as the aroma suggested.

At first I thought it was pancakes, but then he turned his head and smirked. "French toast."

"Really?" I stared at him in awe, because this was epic. He had accomplished cooking something without burning it. "How did this happen?

"Food Network . com," he replied succinctly, brandishing his snazzy smartphone at me.

"Damn, they must be good then," I muttered as I came up next to him and saw him working the toast on the skillet.

Edward grinned victoriously as he transferred the toast onto a plate and topped them with honey. I think I drooled all over the floor.

"So, you still think I'm useless in the kitchen?" he asked, handing me the plate full of honey coated yumminess.

"Huh? I never said that!" I argued half-heartedly as I grabbed a fork and dug in, not even caring to sit down.

"Whatever, I see that I've shut you up nicely." He crossed his arms and leaned against the counter, literally oozing smugness.

"Imma hack your sthupid phone," I garbled between mouthfuls of food. "Then leths see how ya manage."

"Oh, I'll manage just fine. I've memorized quite a lot of recipes already." He grinned his super-villain evil grin and wiggled his eyebrows.

I just rolled my eyes and bit another mouthful of the toast.

"So, Alice had an asthma attack recently?" he asked, looking genuinely concerned.

I nearly choked. "Yeah…"

"She seems to be fine now, though."

I nodded, avoiding his eyes. So much for not involving Alice in my world of supernatural fuckery.

Edward busied himself with cleaning up while I ate, now properly seated at the island. I was grateful to be left alone for the time being.

"Her thoughts are different from others', in a strange way."

Okay, I suppose the grateful feeling was premature.

"How?" I was suddenly very curious. Perhaps Edward could shed some light on Alice's strange behavior.

He puckered his brows as he spoke. "She's always able to picture future scenarios with clarity, unlike other humans. Usually it's all fuzzy and vague, but with Alice, it's sharper, seemingly more certain."

"You've not even met her once, and you know _that_ much about her?" How very disturbing it was that they both knew something about each other without having any prior contact.

"I caught her thoughts when I visited you at work; her office is close to yours."

"You've been to my office only twice."

"And your point is…?"

"You mean you were picking my friend's brain while making out with me?" I squeaked in irritation.

"Not the second time, nope, I didn't even kiss you. And I don't need to pick peoples' brains; they just broadcast their thoughts to me, some louder than others."

"Her thoughts are loud?"

"No, just very interesting. Why are you making a big deal out of this?" he asked with an edge to his voice.

"I don't know, maybe because you mentioned her out of the blue." _Maybe because I don't want you to mention her at all…_

"I mentioned her because you were talking to her just a while ago. Is that so strange?"

I huffed as I finished gobbling my food. Damn, why was I having this argument with him? He was just casually asking after her. It wouldn't have mattered if he was a human boyfriend of mine generally chatting about my friend.

But he wasn't… that's why it was messing with my head.

"You didn't answer me." I looked up from my plate to see Edward looming over me, a quizzical look on his face. "Is something the matter with Alice?"

"No," I said, too hastily. "No, I mean, she's doing fine. Recovering. I was just worried for her."

His expression softened. "It's only natural to worry. But I think she sounded relaxed and excited. That has to be good, right?"

"Yeah…" I gave a noncommittal shrug. If only he knew the extent of the weirdness surrounding Alice these days.

"Give it to me." He reached for the empty plate in my hand, but I pulled it back just in time.

"No, I can manage." I got up and took the plate with me for washing. "Are you trying to baby me?"

"Should I answer that?"

"Nope."

"Thought as much." He flashed me a grin, but didn't make any move to grab the plate again.

As I washed the plate, I considered the possibility of asking him about any blond acquaintances of his. Preferably of the supernatural kind. But how would I go about it without sucking Alice into it as well?

She had said that she was scared of seeing that guy. At least that's what it sounded like. Now, how would I explain all that to Edward, when it wasn't even clear to me?

Damn, all that over-thinking was messing with my head.

"How do you want to spend the rest of the day?" Edward's abrupt question was like a breath of fresh air. Thank God for small distractions.

"Depends… what are our options here?" I asked, wiping the plate and putting it away.

"I'm not very familiar with all the stuff that humans do. Care to enlighten me on how you pass the time?"

"Why'd I want to just pass the time with you? This weekend was meant to be spent doing something we enjoyed. Isn't that so?"

Edward nodded as he looked out the kitchen window, and suddenly, his eyes lit up. "What do you say to a picnic? A nice walk in the forest?"

"Wow, nice idea," I said, following his gaze. "But it's overcast. Are you sure?"

Suddenly, a grimace formed on his handsome features. "You want to go out when the sun shines?"

"Is there a problem with that?" And then it belatedly occurred to me. "Oh shit! You and sunlight don't go hand in hand, right?"

"Yeah, sort of. Though I don't turn to ashes the moment the sun hits me."

"I know… I remember…" Jake had told me something about it long ago. "Something about the sun turning you into a disco ball."

"Did that dog give you that impression?" he asked, not looking amused about the fact that I already knew his secret.

I simply shrugged and came to sit beside him. But before my ass could hit the seat, he pulled me into lap, just like the previous night.

"What _do_ you look like in the sun, then, if not a disco ball?" I shifted to make myself comfortable on his thighs. Hard, muscular thighs.

"_Not_ like a disco ball. But yeah, my kind tends to stand out in sunlight. That's why we never come out in the sun." His hand curved around my waist and pressed gently into my hip. It was a subtle touch, but enough to make my heart stutter.

"So where did that legend of burning in the sun come from?" I asked, deliberately brushing my hand against his chest. I could feel his nipples hardening under my finger tips. _Payback time._

"People make their own excuses to explain things that aren't easily understandable. I suppose over time humans just assumed that the sun must hurt our kind, because we avoided it."

"And why, pray tell, is that? Because of the sparkles?"

"We don't sparkle, Isabella," he growled in my ear.

It was so easy to get a rise out of him.

"That's for me to decide once I see you in the sun." I pushed myself up off his lap and stretched my arms back. "There may be a chance for it today. So, are we heading out or not?"

He bit his lip as he answered me, eyes glued to my boobs. "Sure as hell we are."

The sun was about to set, and we were making our way back to Edward's place. More like I was taking a piggyback ride on Edward as he zipped through the forest with astounding speed.

It was like a rollercoaster ride, but better. There was only one issue; I was scared of losing my grip on him. I tried to hold on to him with all my might, arms and legs both wrapped around his torso. His hands supported me by holding my butt, which he kept squeezing now and then. I would've commented on his friskiness, but I was too busy gasping and giggling and squealing in the wake of my joyride.

When it finally ended in his backyard, I wanted to do it all over again. I told him so. He seemed surprised my enthusiasm.

"I must say I didn't expect you react so positively," he said as I slid down his back and onto the ground.

"What, you think I'm a wuss?" I guffawed as I began to walk toward the back door.

Suddenly, the world tilted and swayed, and I felt like I'd lost control of my faculties. Damn, motion sensitivity…

Edward laughed as he came up behind and loaned me the support of his arms. Swaying and lolling in his arms, I crossed the threshold with him. The bastard just kept chortling the entire time.

"Shut up," I growled, pushing away from him as I made for the nearest sofa to sit out my temporary case of vertigo.

"You're right, not a wuss at all," he teased, tugging at my ponytail as he went past my savior sofa and into the kitchen to unpack my picnic basket. I wanted to turn around to look at him, but I refrained, saving myself from another wave of dizziness.

Fuck, this was worse than being drunk.

"You know," I muttered, laying my head against the back of the sofa, "I may be a wuss by your standards, but at least I'm not a live disco ball."

It was about time he got teased as well, even if he actually didn't sparkle as much as a disco ball.

"Yeah, and what about all that Kevlar talk?" he asked, reminding me how I had compared his skin with Kevlar while we had trudged through the underbrush. Strong but flexible, it made sense that his skin would be like that, since he wasn't petrified like a rock.

"Kevlar also shines." I giggled as I remembered how he'd looked under bright sunshine. Not as dramatic as I had expected, but he did look outlandish.

The sun _had_ come out once during our trek into the woods. It happened while we were sitting on a fallen log, just passing our time… making out. I had noticed the golden rays sifting through the trees and pulled away immediately, to see what happened when the sun hit his skin.

He took his cue and shed his shirt for my pleasure, all reluctant and sullen.

I had expected a grand display of psychedelic lights or something. What I really got was way underwhelming. His skin just had a pearly sheen to it, kind of like metallic luster but not exactly even that. I had spent the next sunny hour exploring his exposed skin, running my hands over it in awe.

Coaxing him out of all of his clothes was a little tricky, though, because he wasn't complying. I was curious; I wanted to see how he looked down there. So I offered to give him head, and well, then he agreed. Men were so easy.

Ah, and he was a shiny pearl all the way to the tip.

I giggled again, reliving the memory of a naked Edward under the sun. Beside me, the sofa dipped under his weight as he sat down. He looked very displeased.

"I thought that you had greater acumen than the dog. You fucking saw me under direct sunlight today, Bella. I do not sparkle!" He uttered the last bit with a guttural growl.

"It's okay, Edward, you gotta embrace that part of yourself." I patted his arm in a soothing gesture, which pissed him off even more. God, I loved teasing him.

His eyebrows were drawn together in a deep frown as he stared in frustration. And then suddenly, he was upon me. His hands slipped under the layers of my clothing to tickle me into hysterics.

"Stop, Edward, please!" I shrieked, nearly falling off the sofa. "Fucking cut it out! I'll faint!"

"I'll stop if you stop saying that I sparkle. Deal?"

"Deal! Fine, deal! Just stop it now!"

Stop he did, but his hands remained under my t-shirt and hoodie, now beginning to caress me with a lover's touch. I shivered in pleasure. Even a little touch from him still affected me acutely. We were long past the initial stages of tentative seduction, so why was I still reacting in this manner?

"Bella, I don't like being teased about my shiny skin," he said, his lips brushing against mine. "It's one of the things that I really resent about being a vampire."

"Why?" I asked, locking my arms around his neck.

"Because it makes me feel like a joke."

"Like a faerie in the woods?"

He groaned in mortification. "God, not a faerie, please."

"Of course you're not, or else I wouldn't be with you."

"Smartass."

"Twinkle-toes."

"Let's see how you keep up." He locked his lips with mine and essentially blocked me from uttering anything else for quite some time.

I loved every bit of it.

* * *

"Edward?"

"Yeah?"

I tried to make out his features in the dark, without much success. I knew he could see me clearly; fucking vampire super-clear vision.

It was almost midnight and I was still not feeling sleepy. We lay naked and entangled in his bed, facing each other. Perhaps I didn't want to waste this night sleeping, since it was my last here for the weekend. He would be dropping me off at home early in the morning.

I pushed that thought aside for the time being and in turn ventured to ask something really private.

"When you were human, did you… like, have a girlfriend or something?"

His whole body stiffened in response to my awkward question, and I almost slapped myself for asking.

"Why do you ask?" He shifted to lie on his back.

"I don't know," I answered honestly, because intrusiveness wasn't my thing. "And I'm sorry, I shouldn't have asked such a personal thing in the first place."

Suddenly, I felt him move, and then his fingers were on my lips, tracing their outline in a sensual caress. It tickled, and instinctively I bit and licked them to ease it.

I heard him sigh; his cool breath washed over the side of my face. I wondered what he was up to as his hand trailed down to my breast and cupped it.

"Edward?" My voice wobbled in the dark as his finger traced a circular pattern around my nipple, rousing it to a tight tip.

He didn't reply, his hand unrelenting in its torment on my body. It skimmed along my quivering abdomen and down my navel, finally coming to rest between my legs.

"I'm allowed to touch you intimately like this, right?" He emphasized his question by pressing his thumb on my clit. My whole body jerked, but I nodded nonetheless. "And you're allowed the same liberties with my body. So if we can explore each other on such a personal level, then I think we can surely explore the personal details of our lives."

I opened my legs for his benefit, and his finger slipped easily inside me. How effortlessly he managed to get me all hot and ready for another round.

"Yes, there was a girl," he said, nudging me slowly on to my back. "I met her during my training with the RCAF."

His cold lips planted butterfly kisses on my collarbone as his finger began to move inside me in a gentle rhythm. I wanted to process the information he'd just given me, but my mind was refusing to comply.

"She was a nurse at the military hospital, from what I recall."

Oh, he couldn't even recall her properly?

A second finger joined the first, eliciting a sigh from me. His lips glided over mine in a possessive kiss, his tongue moving in a similar fashion to his fingers.

My hands came up to grip his neck and shoulders as my body pulled tight like a musical string.

He broke away and whispered against my lips. "I liked her a lot, and wanted to commit myself to her. We eventually became lovers. She was my first…"

And even in a state of overwhelming arousal, I could feel that there was a 'but' hovering around the corner, on the tip of his tongue.

Edward moved down and took my nipple between his lips. His tongue flattened and prodded against it. I uttered a breathy moan.

Suddenly, his fingers curved up inside me and I came undone, whispering his name between my rapid breaths.

He settled between my legs, replacing his fingers with his hardness. Gently and slowly, he sheathed himself inside me.

"Soon, I earned my wings and joined the war," he said, his voice straining as he thrust inside me in a slow, lazy rhythm. "I had planned to propose to her once I returned from the war, and had tried to maintain contact with her through letters… but she never replied."

"Why?" I asked sharply, feeling both jealous and covetous. It was sick, but I was glad she didn't reply back.

"She found someone else." He groaned and stilled inside me. "I got the news from a mutual friend."

Stupid bitch. Well, wasn't it good, though, because now he was mine.

_Mine… Mine… Mine…_

I growled and pushed against him in lustful abandon. "Forget about her and just fuck me. I don't wanna hear any more."

"God, thanks for the reprieve."

My legs wrapped around him in a familiar manner, drawing him deeper within me. We both groaned in pleasure. And then he began to thrust inside me in earnest.

"Fuck, I love you-er… your warmth," he ground out, his breaths becoming labored. "Damnit, Bella, just so you know, nothing has ever felt _this_ incredible."

Good God, the way he said that made my insides curl with warmth.

"Mmhh, yes, nothing's been as amazing as this. Nothing…" I moaned, feeling the delightful tingles of my approaching climax.

He chuckled, and it deliciously vibrated into my body. That did me in. I cried out and gripped him tight, enjoying the high that rushed through me, knowing that more would follow.

* * *

Much later, when I was sleeping quite contentedly in my post-coital bliss, a loud thump resounded from somewhere close-by.

"What is it, Edward?" I croaked, searching his side of the bed.

Which was empty…

I was immediately wide awake.

Thump!

Again, the same noise. It was coming from outside. I threw the covers away and shot out of bed.

Then the growls began. Loud, vampire growls.

I froze for a second, too stunned to react. And then… _ninja mode!_

Very quickly, I went to Edward's closet and grabbed one of his t-shirts; there was no time to rummage through my bag to look for my own clothes. I slipped it on and scampered downstairs.

If indeed a vampire was causing this trouble then I knew what I needed, and I knew where to find it.

* * *

**So what's Bella going to do now? Can you guess? I'd like to hear from you.**

**And how many people noticed that I changed the summary? Do you like it?**

**AND how many of you have already seen Breaking Dawn? I still haven't. Boo! (Jealous)**

* * *

**Next update-The next update should come around next week. I'll try my best. :)  
**

Special thanks to _**Emavalexis**_, my darling beta.


	16. Chapter 16

**Disclaimer****: **I don't own Twilight. But I do own my crazy ideas for AUs.

**A/N:** Enjoy the chapter...

* * *

I crept out of the house wielding my weapon of choice, and a horrific sight greeted me. Edward was fighting another vampire, a fucking _hulk_ of a vampire. He was big and muscular and very scary looking.

They were taking turns shoving each other to the ground, delivering punches and kicks along the way. All their vamp movements were kind of a blur to me, with a few moments of clarity whenever one of them paused briefly. I noticed that Hulky was trying to cuff Edward's head into the ground, but he didn't let it happen. He was way faster than Hulky.

A few missed punches hit the ground, making depressions. Ah, that's where all the thumping was coming from!

I shuddered in fear, but marched on toward the front lawn, the dark bushes hiding my crouching form. They didn't notice me, maybe because the sound of their growls just drowned everything else out. Well, good for me because I closed in pretty quickly.

Edward landed a one-two punch on the bigger vampire. Hulky growled and tried to grab hold of Edward's neck, leading to more blurry motions. Then they came to a halt, with Hulky finally having caught Edward in his grip.

That was it. I was going to intervene.

Trembling from head-to-toe, I got within firing range and aimed at a point right behind where Hulky stood. I pushed the igniter on the weed torch wand and out came the blue flame, landing exactly where I wanted it to.

Much faster than when he was fighting Edward, Hulky jumped away from the flame just as it caught the back of his pants.

"Holy fuck!" he screamed, hopping around like a kangaroo. Then he leapt and landed ass first in a muddy puddle nearby. The look of panic on his face was priceless.

It would've been hilarious, if not for my concern for Edward.

Still carrying the torch, I rushed to his side, quickly doing a once over to check for any harm. Surprisingly, there wasn't even a scratch on him.

"Are you okay?" I couldn't help but ask as I reached for his hand.

He just stared at me like I had grown horns or something. His eyes were the size of saucers.

"Fuck," the other vampire groaned as he extracted himself from the mud bath. "Jesus!"

Back in defense mode, I turned toward him and aimed the torch at him again, straight at his fucking crotch.

He raised his hands up immediately. Then he saw where I was aiming, and his hands rushed down to protect his family jewels. "Stop! Don't! I come in peace!"

"It didn't look like peace to me," I growled. It wasn't vampire-y menacing or any shit, but _I_ was the one holding a flame thrower.

"Uh… Bella, you can put that thing down." Edward tried to take it from me, but I was having none of it.

"Why? So that Hulky can attack you again?"

"_Hulky_?" The other vampire laughed, but in an 'I don't believe this is happening' way.

I aimed the torch at him again and that shut him up.

"Bella, he's _not_ a threat." Edward looked fairly uneasy as he glanced at Hulky and then back at me.

"You two were fighting! Excuse me if I don't understand vampire etiquette, but that looked pretty threatening to me."

"Pheeeew!" Hulky uttered a long whistle, looking me up and down. "What a badass you've got there, Eddie! And nice legs, too. I almost don't care that she knows about vampires or that you've kept her a secret from all of us."

Edward growled something at him, which my poor human ears couldn't catch. _Damn_.

Hulky, though, didn't seem to care about whatever was said. "Okay, no need to get territorial here. Remember, you've made many attempts at _my_ girl before. But I always overlook it."

_Wait, what?_

"Emmett, shut the hell up! You weren't even born then!" Edward looked even more uneasy than before.

"But she was waiting for me," Hulky—_Emmett_, I guess—retorted in a theatrical manner, holding his hands to his chest. "And you were trying to snatch her away like a wicked villain!"

Okay, well, this new information was something that needed that need to be looked into, but later.

Edward ignored the histrionics and set his full attention on me. "Bella, Emmett's a friend, you can relax and lower the torch."

Hulky gave me a dimply smile and friendly wave, as if to corroborate Edward's statement. Like that would make him any less threatening.

But if Edward wasn't bothered, then I was ready to tolerate the shithead. I shrugged and lowered the torch, but didn't give it to Edward. That gave Hulky pause. It was good to intimidate a vampire.

"Friend, whatever, I never knew vamps greeted each other with WWE smack downs. But then again, what do I know? I don't belong to the clique."

Edward chuckled at my snip, but Hulky just gave me a curious look.

"It was a friendly fight," he offered.

"And I'd have kicked his ass if you hadn't intervened," Edward added smugly. "Nothing new about that."

Hulky rolled his eyes but didn't deny Edward's claim. Strange.

"Whatever." I shrugged, not knowing how else to respond. Awkward silence ensued.

A gust of cold air swirled around the lawn, making my teeth clatter. Well, that totally killed my badass vibe. Up until now the adrenalin was keeping me from feeling the chill, but now it seeped through the t-shirt—the only item of clothing I was wearing. Well, at least it was longer than a mini dress, so I was well covered and shit.

Another gust of wind blasted my face as I turned toward Edward. And lo and behold, my sensitive nipples rose to the occasion, which obviously didn't slip past his notice.

He hissed and then stared daggers at the other vampire. Uh oh… _shit_.

So before my nipples could cut through the fabric of the t-shirt, I finally dropped the torch and crossed my arms casually.

"Can we take this inside? I'm close to freezing." I gave Edward a loaded look and began to walk back inside.

Both vampires just mutely followed me into the house, bringing a boatload of dirt along with them.

Once inside, I noticed a suitcase sitting next to the piano. It hadn't been there before. I decided to ask Edward about it, but not while Hulky was here.

"I think you should leave," Edward told him as soon as they passed the threshold. "Your job is done here."

But no, Hulky wasn't of the same mind. "Dude, firstly, delivering your shit isn't my job, it was a favor. Secondly, that wasn't the only reason I came here."

Edward raised one his eyebrows in question. "And what would that reason be? Because from what I remember, you weren't supposed to come by before Tuesday."

"But I'm glad I did. I'd have missed the badass chicka otherwise." Hulky grinned as he turned and winked at me. I just narrowed my eyes and looked away. God, he was annoyingly chipper.

"Emmett, I need you to stop bothering Bella." Edward crossed his arms and glared at him expectantly. "Now tell me whatever it is that you want to talk about. And no, she stays."

Ah, apparently some sort of silent convo was also going on between these two. Damn Edward's mind reading shit.

Emmett seemed to hesitate for a beat there, staring back and forth between me and Edward. But then he just sighed and let it out. "Fine, I needed to give you an update. It seemed urgent enough, so I came here ASAP to fill you in."

"What update?"

"What, you can't read it in my head?" Emmett asked with a mischievous glint in his eye.

"Emmett, I'd rather not venture inside your head right now, or I might have to kill you. So just fucking tell me whatever it is."

Emmett flinched and sobered up. I still didn't believe that Edward could actually harm him, but whatever.

"There's a problem. Jasper didn't report for the last two meet-ups with my group, nor did he send in any reason to be excused. Maria came, but she says that she hasn't seen him for two months. He's called Carlisle once, but it wasn't much. So I suspect you're the last person he saw?"

Edward gave him a curt nod. "It's not unlike him to go solo now and then. I've known him for a long time, and I don't think it's a problem."

Oh, so vampires had regular reunions or get-togethers? Wow…

"Carlisle and Maria suspect a lapse."

That caused an immediate reaction. A scowl formed on Edward's face and he began to pace around like a caged animal. "No, that's not possible. He promised me…"

Emmett gazed at him sympathetically, but didn't make a move to stop him. "Edward, sometimes it's beyond our control. Some people just smell tastier. I mean, _you_ should know…" He let that last remark hang in the air.

That caused Edward to jerk to a stop. His eyes flickered to mine in silent acknowledgement, then back to Emmett. "Oh, I know all about it."

Emmett gaped, his eyes darting back and forth between Edward and me, looking like a giant goldfish. "You don't say! This chick was the one?"

Edward's eyes flashed in annoyance. Ah, I didn't know he had such anger issues… or maybe that was Hulky's superpower: pissing others off.

"Her name's _Isabella_, and yes, she's the one. But even then, I _had_ enough control not to kill her." That made me do a double take. Did it mean that back then in Forks, he wasn't really going to kill me?

"You don't have to talk like I'm not even here," I grumbled, feeling left out. If they were going to talk about me, they better involve me in it.

"Sorry." Edward gave me a genuine, apologetic look.

"Whoa, he just apologized to someone." Emmett cocked his head to one side as he stared at Edward with an astonished look. "I'm waiting for the rapture now. Dude, you're so whipped."

The remark made me blush, which was strange, because my usual reaction would've been to laugh.

"Emmett, enough of your annoying shit," Edward reproved, looking, if I wasn't mistaken, a little uncomfortable.

"Does Carlisle know about this…whatever's going on between you two?" Emmett waved at me and Edward, apparently at a loss for words when it came to defining our relationship. I didn't blame him; I wasn't sure about it either.

"No, and don't you go about jabbering away yet. I'll let everyone know when I want to." Oh shit… that meant I'd be joining the vamp club soon, when I didn't even belong there.

"Aye Aye, Captain, whatever… Rose is going to flip her shit when she finds out." Emmett rubbed his hands together and smiled gleefully, but it soon dulled when Edward gave him a death glare.

"Don't even try that shit, Emmett."

Emmett rolled his eyes and shrugged. "So, are you planning on tracking Jasper?"

Edward sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. He looked weary for a second. "I don't know. A part of me wants to trust him… just let him be and wait for him to return on his own. But the other part, it fears…"

Emmett nodded, all the frivolous humor gone now. I couldn't comprehend it fully, but I guess this was a sensitive issue for Edward.

"Let me know if you decide on anything. I'll simply sic James on him."

Edward frowned at the suggestion, his eyes narrowing to slits. "He's been wayward himself. Jasper won't appreciate that."

Emmett seemed disappointed by Edward's reluctance to approve of any search mission, but he didn't let it out verbally. "Cool. Whatever… just think it over and let me know what you decide, okay? I need to get going now. My watch's gonna start in a few hours."

Edward nodded but didn't say anything else. No goodbyes or see ya laters.

"What's a watch?" I asked Emmett, seeing that he was heading for the main door.

"Babe, we the Vigilantes…" He gestured toward himself and Edward. "…hunt the bad guys. You know, trawl the areas that are crime hotspots. Hasn't he told you anything about it? He's the one who came up with the idea."

This information surprised me a little. I looked at Edward in confusion, but he didn't respond.

"Uh, I did know a bit about Edward's hunting preferences, but I certainly didn't know that there was a whole Justice League of vampires."

Emmett guffawed at my quip. "Oh man, I'm so flattered now. But yeah, our group motto is to wipe out crime."

"And get easy meals by way of it," I added, which caused him to laugh so loud that my ears were left ringing.

"Yup, and we participate in regular meet-ups to check on each other. See who did a good job, or if anyone's slacking or cheating."

"Cheating, as in…?"

"Hunting innocents, who invariably taste better. We don't condone that."

It all sounded so fascinating. I wanted to know more. I was going to ask more questions, but Edward just threw a wrench in my plans by telling Emmett to leave. That was rude, and I let him know that by glaring at him. But Emmett complied and took off immediately, much to my disappointment.

"Why were you being so mean to him?" I asked, closing the main door.

"Asks the one who almost set his ass on fire," Edward retorted, dripping with sarcasm.

"What else was I supposed to do? I thought he was trying to harm you." I threw my hands in the air in frustration as I came back into the living room.

"Harm me? Oh please…" Edward laughed derisively, pulling his soiled t-shirt off. Then he turned and started for the stairs.

I followed right behind, rubbing my arms to create heat from friction. Damn, it was cold. "Why _were_ you fighting?"

"We usually do whenever we meet, just a friendly combat game. But tonight, he was just pissing me off." He turned and followed my movements as he explained further. "He knew that a human was inside the house, and he wanted to see who it was. I was just trying to subdue him before barged into our bedroom."

_And found me sleeping naked amongst sex-rumpled covers. Shit, close shave with eternal embarrassment._

"I'm going to take a shower to wash this filth off," he said as we entered the bedroom. "It'll be morning soon, so I suggest that you also get ready after I'm done."

I nodded and plopped on the bed, noticing how distant he was being. But I tried not to dwell too much on that.

Closing my eyes, I began to rub my arms again, still feeling cold. Suddenly, something soft wrapped around me. A comforter. I opened my eyes to see Edward staring down at me, his hands holding the comforter's ends.

"Keep warm," he told me, then vanished into the bathroom.

I sighed and pulled the comforter tightly around me, finally feeling the much needed warmth.

* * *

The sun had arisen while I showered and got dressed. Soon, I knew, it'd be time for me to head to work. Fucking Mondays.

"You want me to drop you at home or at work?" Edward came up behind me while I was packing my stuff. "I mean, it's still early morning, you can rest a little before leaving. I can take you straight to your office at your regular time."

"Uh, I need to collect my laptop from home," I replied, shivering as I felt him plant a kiss on my neck. "So home it is."

"Okay." He sighed against my skin. "I guess we should get going then." But his actions contradicted his words as he engulfed me in an embrace.

I sagged against his chest, feeling very reluctant to leave. These two days had been so wonderful. And I knew I probably wouldn't get to see him till the next weekend. Weekdays sucked. There just wasn't any time for me to meet him during the day, and at night, Angela would be at home.

God, when had I become such a sap? It was just a week apart, not a year. I needed to get a grip on myself.

"Edward, we really need to leave now, or I might be late for work." My voice quavered as I turned to look into his smoldering eyes.

He took a deep breath and then let me go. "I'll take the car out."

I opened my mouth to tell him that I'd come down in a minute, but he was gone before I could even utter a syllable.

Damn, I was beginning to hate this day already.

Nevertheless, I hauled my bag over my shoulder and headed downstairs.

Outside, Edward was attending to his car like it was his baby. Wiping the windshield so carefully, checking the tires, the hood, etc. Men…

I shook my head as I headed for the car and her master.

"Is that suitcase the thing Emmett came over to deliver?" I had been curious about it ever since I saw it, so I thought I might as well ask.

"Yeah, it has some of my personal stuff. My Chicago house is getting refurbished, so Carlisle thought he'd send it here."

"You mean your… your parent's home?" I remembered him telling me that he was born and brought up in the windy city.

He nodded, then gestured for to me to get inside the car, all without sparing a single glance in my direction. There he was again, so distant, as if my presence was just a blip on his radar. As if something was nagging at him, so much that he was zoning out. That was so unlike him—or unlike the Edward I knew.

"Isn't this Jasper dude your brother?" I asked as I settled beside him in his car. Anything to keep him talking to me. I was afraid that he'd completely clam up the moment I stopped making attempts at conversation.

Another brief nod as he turned the ignition key. "When we were in Forks, he pretended to be my elder brother."

It was such a strange concept… forming families just for pretense. But I guess that was one of the ways in which the vamps fit themselves into the world of humans.

"You didn't get to see him, did you?" He eyed me for a second, then turned his attention to the road as he swiftly negotiated the driveway.

"Nope."

"Thought as much."

I relaxed back into the leather seat as the car picked up speed. It was better to try and calm my nerves now, because Edward was slipping into speed demon mode.

"Is he—Jasper actually older than you? Like, in vampire years?" That sounded so weird, like we were discussing 'light years' or something.

"Yeah, much older," he replied succinctly and didn't elaborate on it.

"Wow…" No shit… I wondered if there were vampires who were like, a thousand years old. But I decided to leave that alone for now. Too freaky for my taste.

It was quiet for a while, because I momentarily ran out of questions. But I persevered and dug into the deep recesses of my mind to come up with a few. And I did find something worth asking for…

"Who's Maria?" Very lame, but it worked—he did answer, after all.

"She's Jasper's oldest acquaintance. They were both members of a big Mexican coven prior to meeting me and Carlisle."

Ah, maybe she was Jasper's vampire girlfriend… whatever.

"Hmm, Maria is fine, but Jasper doesn't sound Mexican to me." But whatever the origin, the name gave off a pansy-ish vibe. Delicate and sensitive, like mimosa.

"He's not Mexican. He's Texan."

"Ah _pardner_." I tried to mimic the clichéd Texan accent. "So what was he doin' in a Mexican cartel then?"

His lips twitched at my gag, but he didn't laugh like usual. That's when I realized one thing—any mention of Jasper sucked the humor out of him. Damn, now I _needed_ to know more about this Jasper, and for the time being, Edward was at least being forthcoming with the info.

"He was in the Confederate Army when he was changed, by Maria herself."

Fuck, he was from the Civil War era. Good God, what an antiquated lot they were.

Edward noted my surprise and shook his head. "Told you he was much older. But Carlisle surpasses even that."

"Great. You must feel like a young-un around them."

"It's becomes very frustrating sometimes, when they start acting as though they know better, just because they're older."

That made me laugh, because it did sound like he was talking about an annoying bunch of elders in an extended human family.

"Tell me more about Maria and Jasper," I implored, still wondering why Jasper was a sensitive issue in his book. It seemed like they were really close, like real brothers.

He complied, but his voice held a reluctant edge. "Maria took him with herself to Mexico, where her coven was. It was a big one, thirteen vampires, all Hispanic. Needless to say, he stood out amongst them like a sore thumb, all wavy blond hair and southern twang."

I stiffened in my seat at the mention of blond hair. "Blond, you say?"

"Yeah, why? You prefer blonds?"

I tried to keep my voice from shaking as I replied. "Nope."

He took his eyes off the road and turned his face to observe me. "Then why is your heartbeat racing?"

_Oh shit…quick, Bella, think of an excuse!_

"Uh, because I was… looking at the speedometer and… you know how it makes me nervous," I stuttered, sounding totally unconvincing, not to mention idiotic.

Surprisingly though, he believed me, because he immediately slowed down. It was obvious now that he couldn't read my mind at all.

"And here I thought you were hung up on blonds or something," he said wryly, giving me a wisp of a smile.

Ah, so he was teasing me again. Which would've lifted my spirits if it hadn't been for blondie. That one revelation jangled my nerves.

What if this blond guy and Jasper were one and the same?

Then I fucking needed to prepare myself. And maybe lock Alice in a cellar or something.

"So, you seemed very upset about Jasper's disappearance," I remarked casually, giving him an opening to discuss this issue with me. I wanted him to.

He hesitated for a while, but then opened up in a deluge of words.

"That's because I know he's been through a lot, and I want him to come out of it. But it's very difficult for him, Bella. He had lived with a violent group of vampires, and it rubbed off on him. For a very long time he was hunting humans arbitrarily. It was a staple for him." He grimaced as he went on, his hands tightening on the steering wheel. "If someone smelled delicious, then Jasper was going to have at it."

I shuddered as I listened, quietly, with a growing concern for the present situation with Jasper.

"But when he'd finish with his prey, the guilt of the act would eat at him. The guilt led to an immense hatred, mostly toward himself and his predatory nature. That hatred eventually turned into a mad rage. The mad rage led to more innocent deaths, and the vicious cycle repeated itself. It wasn't until he met me and Carlisle that he saw another way to live, and hence decided to change his lifestyle. And I helped him in his endeavor, as I could see his suffering through his mind's eye."

"But he did change, right?" I asked tentatively, already fearing the answer.

"Yes, but he's had a few… episodes." Edward paused, as if looking for a way to expound upon it. "It wasn't intentional, but sometimes, the scent of human blood became too much for him to handle. Accidental cuts and bleeding… when he was standing too close to the victim. He repents it all to this day, but what he did can't be reversed, and he knows it."

"That's what Emmett meant? That there's fear that Jasper might've had an 'episode'?"

Edward released a frustrated sigh as he nodded in response.

God, I felt so emotionally confused. My heart clenched, both for Jasper and his victims. And for the first time, I became fully aware of a vampire's nature, especially the pull of their bloodlust.

Edward had made it look so easy, even when he himself admitted that my blood tasted like a delicious dessert to him. I'd never truly appreciated his internal strength… his will to go against his very nature just to be with me.

"What are you thinking?" he asked, pulling me out of my musings.

"That I never knew how badly a vampire can react to a scent." _That I admire your self-control all the more for it…_

"Even after what happened in Forks?"

"What actually did happen in Forks, I still don't know. But I used to think that it was a well planned attempt at murder." I saw him cringe from the corner of my eye and immediately regretted saying that last bit.

"That was partly planned, but not an attempted murder. I just wanted a little taste. Which was foolish, really."

I sighed and turned my face toward the window. We were well into the heart of the city now. Soon, I'd be home… soon, I'd be all alone.

"I often wonder what would've happened if the wolf pack hadn't intervened," I confessed, staring emptily at the passing urban landscape.

"Maybe then you'd not have dated that dog out of a misplaced sense of obligation and gratefulness."

I looked back at him in shock, as I wasn't expecting such an acerbic response. "It wasn't like that. I did love him."

Edward laughed darkly, almost in a mocking way. "Sure. Then it's good to own up on your mistakes."

I didn't have a retort for that, so I chose to remain silent. He was right, even though he was probably motivated to say it out of jealousy. I'd have fared better in remaining single.

Edward must have noticed my sudden reticence, because then _he_ tried to make conversation. And he chose one of the most annoying topics ever.

"So, are you expecting any flowers and cards today?"

Fucking Valentine's Day…

"Yeah, I get fan mail in the thousands. Mostly containing poetry dedicated to my boobs and ass."

I saw him smirk at my smartass response. Well at least he was getting back to smiling again. At my expense, but whatever.

Thankfully, he decided to change the topic of conversation. "It's going to rain."

Ah, the weather. Excellent…

"No shit, we're in Pacific Northwest," I deadpanned, eyeing the first drops hitting my window.

By the time we entered my neighborhood, those drizzly drops had turned into a heavy downpour. Still, it didn't seem to affect Edward's driving at all. He effortlessly parked the car in front of my apartment building.

I wished I could drive with such swagger.

He killed the engine and turned my way with an apologetic look. But I wasn't really interested in apologies right now—whatever the motivation behind them; I was already in moping mode for today.

I was about to tell him just that, when I saw his expression falter. And then his features froze into an impassive mask.

"What's wrong?" asked, noticing that he'd gone still as stone. "Edward?"

"Nothing, nothing," he replied, almost sounding like he was trying to convince himself rather than me. "Nothing's wrong."

Then his eyes darted outside, as if he were looking for someone. But there was no one around. The whole street was empty.

"Bella, will you stay inside the car for a bit?" He looked back at me with pleading eyes.

"Why? Tell me what's happening, Edward." I was about to lose my shit here. He was acting like a coiled up snake, about to strike at any moment.

"I just to need to check something." And with that, he shot out of the car and began marching toward my building. Not wanting to waste another second, I followed behind him, thankful for his human pace. My clothes were soaked within seconds.

"Of course, you wouldn't listen to me," he muttered after he saw me trailing him.

"Edward, just fucking tell me." He didn't. He simply ran a hand through his wet hair and pulled at the ends like a mad man.

I thought he was going for the entrance, but he changed direction and went toward the back of the building. There was a garden there, full of lush green hedges and trees. Right now, it looked gloomy and dark, because it fell under the building's shadow, and the overcast sky didn't help either.

I squinted in the rain as I ran after Edward and entered the garden. Abruptly, he stopped, making me bump into him from behind. I looked up and saw him glaring in the distance, so I followed his line of sight.

And there, behind one of the hedges, stood the reason for Edward's ire. Not just his, I realized; mine as well.

* * *

**Did you like the way Bella handled the perceived threat to Edward? Did you like Emmett's intro? Did something amuse/irritate you in this chapter? Do let me know what you think. I'm always a nervous wreck when I post the chapters, so it'd be good to receive some response from my readers. :)**

**My review replying mechanism is fucked up again. But I'll keep on trying to reply. **

* * *

**Next update-around next week.  
**

Special thanks to _**Emavalexis**_, my darling beta.


	17. Chapter 17

**Disclaimer****: **I don't own Twilight. But I do own my crazy ideas for AUs.

**A/N:** Extra long chapter is my Holiday offering to my lovely readers. Hope you enjoy it. :D

* * *

Jacob fucking Black stared back at me from behind the bushes with a look of appalled indignation. As if I had failed him and joined the enemy ranks.

In a way, I had, but fuck if I'd let him control my life like he controlled his pack mates'.

"I was right all along. You lied to me," he said with a look of disgust. "All for saving this leech's ass."

Edward growled and lowered himself into a crouch. "If it were so easy to beat my ass, then you probably should've accomplished that by now, dog."

At Edward's taunt, Jake began to shake in anger. It was a precursor to phasing.

Oh God, a supernatural fight in my backyard would be a total mess. It had to be stopped before it got out of hand.

"Jake, what are you doing here?" I asked in a very leveled tone; I needed to act calm here, lest either one of them flipped their shit.

"What does it look like? I came here to check up on you. Because that's what friends do." Jake crossed his arms and stared at me defiantly.

"He broke into your apartment to sniff around and spy on you." Edward raised one of his brows, as if to convey that it was now probably legit to pummel the shit out of Jake.

Jake actually looked uncomfortable by the revelation. "You have no way of knowing that shit, bloodsucker, so stop with the fucking lies already."

"Oh, then I believe you're short on info about our abilities," Edward shot back with a derisive smirk.

"Jacob, you need to understand the meaning of boundaries," I stated firmly, breaking the tension built up between the two of them. "Yes, I said we we'd be friends, but that doesn't give you the authority to snoop into my personal affairs."

"Yeah, you got the _affair_ part right," he remarked condescendingly, his eyes still locked on Edward.

His caustic words made my blood boil, but I kept my shit together. "Jake, I'm telling you again. Leave. Now. And do not try to get into my business again."

"It's my business as well, if it involves a leech." Again, he stared at me with an air of righteous defiance.

"If you were so bothered about hunting down vampires, then you wouldn't be cooped up at the Rez, doing nothing else but lording over your pack. Why didn't you ever actively seek them, if that's your life's fucking business?"

Jake's jaw dropped in shock, and he finally turned his full attention on me. "Bella, how can you say that? I always actively protected you!"

"Yeah, because back then I mattered to you. And now you offer the same service to Leah. But did you ever think to protect random strangers? Nope, never. To you, it all begins and ends with the tribe and your personal interests."

"What's your point, Bella?" he spat at me, looking back and forth between me and Edward.

I noticed that Edward had gone completely silent. A glance at him showed me that he was as keenly interested in my diatribe as Jacob was. He was staring at me in confusion.

But I couldn't dwell on Edward right now; I had a question to respond to. "My fucking point is that Edward is doing a lot more for humanity than you can ever imagine, let alone accomplish in your life. So take your sorry ass back to the Rez and learn to mind your own business."

He stood his ground and argued. "How can a leech do anything for the sake of humanity? Has he fucking brainwashed you or something?"

"He does his bit to fight crime, Jacob, ever think doing of that yourself? No, I know you never did. Even though you've got the strength to do that."

"You're fucking crazy," he growled, taking a step in my direction. In response, Edward stepped right in front of me.

Still, I poked my head from his side to confront Jacob. "Jake, just leave me alone. Yes, I admit I asked for your help on Halloween, but that was limited to that one call only. I didn't invite you to poke your nose into my life afterwards. You should respect that if you consider me your friend."

Jake barked a hollow laugh and waved at me in a relenting gesture. "Damn, Bella, if you're so hell bent on hanging out with a leech, then so be it. But don't ever accuse me of not warning you or trying to help you out."

"Unsolicited help always goes unappreciated." Off course, Edward had to choose this time to come up with a wisecrack.

Jacob wasn't in the mood to welcome it either. "So does unwanted butting in."

"Yes, exactly, Jake. So now leave." And that, for me, was the end of the argument.

Jacob seemed to understand that, as he began to retreat with caution, keeping a constant eye on Edward. God, so much mistrust…

When he was finally gone, my shoulders sagged in relief.

And then the shudders began, because there was only so much cold rain my body could take.

"Fuc-king he-ll," I chattered, as Edward very thoughtfully escorted me to my apartment and helped me to a hot shower.

He stayed around till I was ready to leave for work, not hovering overbearingly, but with a quiet presence that remained within reach should I need any help.

* * *

"So, what do you think?" Christy gazed expectantly from across the table, tapping her fingers on its smooth surface.

The question she asked wasn't all that complicated, but my mind just wasn't ready to pay it full attention. It was still stuck on this morning's events, replaying them over and over like a broken record. Yet, I had to respond within a respectable amount of time, or else it would be construed as rude behavior on my part.

I looked at the ornate invite in my hands and tried to come up with something positive regarding its design. It was a hard thing to do when I was already not fond of the whole concept.

Still, I managed to fumble through with a decent response.

"Uh, it looks really unusual. Very bubbly and romantic. I'm sure it's going to be a memorable experience for everyone who's attending."

Decent, my ass; it sounded lame.

But Christy glowed with pride as she heard my affirmation of her awesomeness. Well, good for her.

"Ah, Alice told me you'd say something like that! She knows you so well."

I gave her a half-hearted nod of acknowledgment, then turned my attention back to the invite. I silently cursed Alice as I moved my fingers over the embossed pink—obviously—surface of the card.

My dear weird friend had simply abandoned me first thing in the morning to go for a meeting with the caterers. It could have been avoided, because she'd already nearly finalized everything with them over the phone. Not to mention that she was acting all shifty today—but I'd come to expect some form of weirdness from her these days.

It was like it'd be weird if she was _not_ being weird at all.

"Oh Bella, I'd have loved more of your input with the preparations this weekend, but Alice didn't let me seek you out." Christy waved her hands around, gesturing overenthusiastically as she gushed away. "She said you had a very important personal engagement that couldn't be cancelled. What _were_ you up to?"

Did she understand the meaning of _personal_?

"I…" I squirmed in my seat as I tried to think up something to satisfy Madame Nosy. "It was…"

Thankfully, I was saved by one of the staff, who came rushing into the room courting a nervous expression, hands flapping up and down. Apparently, something went wrong with the decorations or something. Well, _boo_, but that was my cue to hightail out of my nosy boss's office.

I breathed a sigh of relief once I entered the soothing confines of my office. The rest of my workplace had been turned into a madhouse today. And I knew it'd be that way until that damned Velveteen Valentine's Party rolled on.

God, was no one bothered about actual productive work anymore? No, and why should they have cared, when their own boss was not concerned about it? Argh!

I grumbled in frustration and went to sit at my desk, wishing to hide there all day. But as I was settling in my chair, something caught my attention—something that wasn't in the room when I left it to see Christy.

On my corner sofa sat a bunch of flowers, along with a big box bearing the label of my favorite bakery. Naturally, I went to check them out right away.

The flowers were… oh, so cute and pretty—round and puffy like paper, with pointy petals. The bunch contained several of them; and in many colors ranging from purple to red to simply white. I nearly forgot about the box as I admired these little pom-poms.

When I did open the box, I was transported straight to heaven—a heaven with a delightful variety of pastries and mini cakes. I loved all of them, each and every one of the eatables this box contained. Needless to say, I gobbled a few of them right away.

Good God! Who would send me these lovelies?

I looked around for an accompanying card or letter or anything that would tell me about the sender, but I found nothing. Then I went and called the reception to ask if anyone had sent any package for me in the last one hour. The response was nope, nada.

I wasn't inclined to ask the staff, because if word got out that I had received a valentine gift, then I'd probably have to lock my office door. Everyone was damnably curious about each others' love lives, or lack there of, whatever. Not to mention that they'd try to dig into the delicious treats meant only for me.

I had no choice but to deem the gift giver as anonymous. Oh, but I wasn't ready to take a gift from a stranger! And not just any gift, a valentine gift.

It felt… wrong.

Irritated and frustrated for not being able to enjoy my gift anymore, I began to pace like a loon. I went to the windows and blankly stared at the city skyline, wondering if perhaps someone had played a prank on me.

Then it hit me—the familiar heady aroma I had been missing since morning. I leaned toward the windows and took a deep breath. There it was… Edward's scent; diluted but still potent enough to be identified. It clung to the window panes and even the blinds, betraying his earlier presence in my office.

Shocked, I looked over at the flowers and pastry box then back at the windows.

_Edward_ gave me a Valentine's Day gift? What universe was this?

Oh, and why did he have to be so sneaky about it? Was there an issue with presenting them to me face to face?

A little voice inside my head told me that there was. I'd have flipped out, because I suffered from bouts of idiocy when something unexpectedly pleasant happened to me.

Perhaps Edward knew I'd be awkward about it, because this whole situation was just… awkward. Or maybe _he_ felt awkward about this…

Whatever, I wasn't going to mull it over to death.

What I _was_ going to do was stuff my face with the goodies Edward had brought for me.

But before that, I decided to place the pretty flowers in a vase—I had one for occasional floral presence in my room—and put it on my table. Then I went and attacked the bakery box.

Lunch was going to be skipped today, for obvious reasons.

* * *

As the day progressed, I came down from my sugar induced high. Then the worrying began.

Edward hadn't contacted me at all. And even if he had, I knew I wouldn't have known what to say to him. 'Thank you' seemed too formal, and any endearment seemed too… intimate?

_But we are intimate_, my mind screamed at me.

Yes, we were, but it was a different definition of intimate. I didn't know whether Edward would appreciate _that_ level of familiarity.

Needless to say, my constant fretting made me a nervous wreck. It totally killed the joy that those yummy treats had given me.

Plus, it seemed odd that Edward wouldn't even try to tell me that he was the one who had given them to me.

Then a thought entered my mind… what if they weren't from Edward? What if I had been mistaken all this while? What if they were from someone else and Edward saw them lying on my sofa and got pissed thinking I had lied to him in the morning?

Fuck!

I was going mad now.

There was only one way to deal with this situation. I needed to call Edward and clear this up with him. I knew he had fed his number into my phone sometime during my stay, so at least I had a way to reach him.

Immediately, I pulled my phone out and called his number.

It kept ringing and ringing and ringing. I almost hung up in frustration. He finally picked it up on the bazillionth ring.

"Did you or did you not send these gifts to me?" I cringed at my own words, because this wasn't the way I had planned to start this conversation. They just burst from my stupid mouth before I had the chance to stop them.

"Ah, hello to you too."

I cringed again, because I could hear an edge to his pleasant greeting.

"Edward… I…" I stuttered nervously, "I meant to say, I mean to ask… because I really want to know." I wanted to smack myself; I was making no sense. "Are these presents from you?"

I may have squeaked the last part of the question.

From the other side I just heard a sigh.

"Edward?" My fretting increased to a gargantuan level, because he just wasn't responding.

I was about to repeat his name again when he finally spoke.

"Which presents are you talking about?" He sounded so bored… so detached. It made me want to curl up inside myself.

"I've only received two presents today," I said in a small voice. "A bunch of pom-pom flowers and a big box from the Macrina Bakery."

Damn, why was I feeling guilty about admitting that I had received valentine gifts?

"Globe amaranths…"

"What?" I sputtered, rubbing my forehead in confusion.

"They're called globe amaranths, or gomphrena globosa, not pom-pom flowers."

A sharp intake of breath from me, and he starting laughing. That fucker!

"And I didn't send them, I delivered them personally."

"Edward, you… you fucking cad!" I cried, bouncing in my chair and shaking my fist in anger. "Don't ever play with me like that! I don't like it one bit!"

"But it's so much fun. I'm actually picturing the color of your cheeks right now. Must be that pretty shade of red you always get when you're angry."

"Oh God…" He was right; my cheeks were all heated up. But now I was turning an even deeper shade of red out of embarrassment. "You're impossible."

"But you liked my presents, didn't you?"

"Yes. And that assortment from the bakery, those are my favorites. How did you even know? I never mentioned anything about that to you."

"Actually, I didn't," he replied after a brief pause. "I just went on a hunch. You seem to have a sweet tooth, so I thought you'd like them. I just selected what I thought my human self would've liked."

So he used to have a sweet tooth as well?

"Thank you…" I began, and then hesitated to go further, so it came out in clumsy fits and starts. "I—I really liked—no, loved them. And the flowers too. They're so… different, and very pretty. So unexpected…" That's when my steam ran out.

I waited for a response from the other side, biting my lip out of sudden nervousness. I didn't even know why I was feeling like this; I just was.

"Well, Bella, I'm happy that I could give you something you liked. Enjoy the treat."

"I already am." I giggled, looking fondly at the bakery box. "Half the stuff from the box is gone."

"What?" He laughed. "Are you not sharing it with the others there?"

"I don't share. I'm an only child, so there."

"You've been a spoiled brat."

God, I was tempted to ask whether he'd spank me for it. But that'd just be ridiculous.

"Edward?" I asked, and he hummed in response. "I hope what happened this morning isn't still bothering you. I mean, Jacob was being such an asshole."

"No, I'm fine. I don't get upset over such things. Though _you_ looked ready to rip someone's head off."

"Preferably Jake's," I replied, picturing that scenario with glee. "But you looked so angry…"

"Bella, I _was_ annoyed for a bit there, but it was nothing compared to _your_ temper."

"But still, thanks… for—for putting up with that shit." The fits and starts were threatening once more, so I shut up.

Edward hummed again, then changed the topic. "So, how are you going to celebrate today?"

What an odd question. "Nothing. V Day has always been a little 'meh' for me. I'll just head home after work because I'm exhausted."

"Why? Is there a lot of work today?"

_Ha! Work? What work? Ask Christy and she'll tell you…_

"No, it's the usual, except for the fact that everyone is vibrating with excitement for the weekend V Day party," I explained. "It's rendered me mentally exhausted."

He chuckled, then sighed deeply. "Right then, go straight home and have some rest. The events of the morning must be adding to the whole exhaustion party as well."

"Will do." Now I sighed, because I was missing him. "When will I be seeing you then?" I sounded desperate, but I couldn't help asking.

"Uh, I don't know. I'm a little busy right now, trying to hunt down a few heads. Will let you know about it whenever the opportunity comes up."

"Okay, good luck with that."

I ended the call shortly afterward, thanking him again for the gifts. He just made light of it, ending my awkwardness effectively.

Now I was back to work. It mostly entailed sending some important emails, which threatened to bore me to death. But at least I was safe here in my office, away from the madness that was sweeping across my workplace. I christened it 'The Velveteen Valentine Bug'.

* * *

I stared out my bedroom window as I contemplated taking a shower before going to bed. But that wasn't the only thought currently spinning in my mind.

It had been three days since my last conversation with Edward on Valentine's Day. I hadn't heard from him after that. I tried to be rational about it, because he _had_ told me he'd be busy. But in truth, I was restless, and sort of worried.

Which was why I was considering a relaxing hot shower.

Usually, my normal reaction to any such situation would be to seek Angela to talk her ear off about my troubles. But my current problem wasn't open for discussion, and moreover, Angela was already asleep in her bedroom.

She'd gone straight to bed when she'd come home after packing twelve hours in at work. But not before calling me out on my new found love for World War II documentaries.

I had turned crimson under her questioning stare, because I had no plausible pretext for watching stuff that had previously held no interest for me. I had been watching them every evening after dinner, not realizing that Angela had noticed.

Thankfully, she didn't press the issue.

I had breathed a sigh of relief once she'd disappeared inside her room.

Now I knew I couldn't watch those documentaries anymore in her presence, for fear of more uncomfortable questions.

I groaned and rubbed my forehead in frustration. The documentaries made me sick, but I felt compelled to watch them all the same. It gave me a sense of being there with Edward, in that time and space. It gave me an understanding of what he must've felt during that time.

All in all, it was worth feeling nauseated from time to time.

But the man for whom I was enduring all this was nowhere in sight. Often, I'd think about the things that might be keeping him from contacting me, one of them being whether he was trying to reach Jasper.

Jasper… Alice… I had no way to know whether the man Alice saw was Jasper indeed. I didn't even know, clearly, if that man was a vampire or just a pale human being. It was all assumption, and I couldn't incriminate Jasper based on such vague speculation.

It could very well be that he had absolutely no connection to this issue with Alice. Or was the issue mine? Even that wasn't clear to me.

Alice hadn't mentioned it again after her brief admission to seeing that man. In fact, she was acting as though it hadn't even happened. She was merrily busy planning the Valentine's weekend party, giving me the impression that the conversation I'd had with her was all in my imagination.

It was unsettling.

Sometimes, I considered procuring Edward's help in scanning the deep recesses of her mind. But that would've been highly intrusive, not to mention unethical. Also, I didn't want any vampires near her; even if it was someone I was intimately acquainted with. As it was, something about her mind fascinated Edward, and I didn't want feed his curiosity any further.

I'd let him near her on only one account; that was, if it was clear to me that she was under some kind of threat. So far, it hadn't appeared that way. I hadn't even seen that blond head again after that day at the restaurant.

"Damnit! So confusing…" I muttered to myself as I turned away from the window and headed for the bathroom.

The warm spray of the shower was a welcome sensation on my skin. For a while I just stood there and let the water run over me in soothing cascades. It hit a few sensitive spots on my body—which ached for a cold caress, instead—and I shivered in remembrance.

I was so goddamn frustrated.

And so to ease that frustration, I decided to please myself on my own.

I tried to imitate Edward's touch as I grabbed my breasts, but it wasn't the same. Then I tried to rub myself to an orgasm, but that only served to agitate me further.

I was well and truly fucked, and not in the way I wanted to be.

"Oh God… I've forgotten how to get myself off," I grumbled, leaning against the shower wall as the steam swirled around me.

Then, as if my need itself caused their manifestation, a pair of familiar cold hands wrapped around my waist and pulled me back against an equally cold and familiar chest.

"Well, that's too bad," Edward whispered in my ear, sending a delightful thrill throughout my body, "because I was looking forward to a titillating show."

"Edward!" I turned around and simply attacked him, pulling his head down into a kiss that I knew would leave my lips swollen. But I was too far gone to care about that.

He kissed me back with equal fervor, which told me that he missed this as well.

As our bodies touched, I discovered that he was already naked. That made me moan in approval. Quickly, I reached down and grasped him, loving the way he twitched and responded in my hands.

He growled into my mouth and cupped my breasts in a rough, possessive grip. God, I had missed those hands… so much that I almost sobbed in relief as his thumbs rolled over my nipples.

My intense need for him was so raw that I was unable to express it in words. Thankfully he understood me. In no time at all I found myself lifted onto his torso and moaning his name as he completely possessed my body.

"I missed you," he growled in his typical primal manner as he thrust inside me.

Those three words were our shared sentiment.

I noticed an undercurrent of desperation in his actions he fucked me silly under the shower spray. His grip on my body was too tight, and I think he left a few hickeys on my breasts. Oh, but I loved it… welcomed it, even.

Needless to say, the shower lasted longer than any shower should.

I even felt a little environmental guilt over it.

* * *

Edward stayed the night and left early in the morning, all without Angela's notice. And he spent a good portion of that time inside me. Of course, we had to be quiet about it, and both of us weren't too happy about that.

In the interludes that followed each round of sex, I either snoozed on his chest or tried to inquire about the busy days he'd been having. He didn't give me the gory details—just a vague account of how he had traced a few notorious criminals in the Bay Area. He didn't need to elaborate on what happened to them afterwards; his bright ruby eyes told me enough.

Naturally, then, the issue of Jasper came up as well…

"Were you able to get in touch with Jasper?" I had asked drowsily, drifting in and out of sleep to the lull of his fingers stroking my hair.

"Yes and no."

"Edward, don't test my sleepy comprehension," I had whined, hitching my leg up over his to get into a more comfortable position.

He did relent to my demand then. "I talked to him over the phone. He's been in New York all this time, doing a solo stint. And he's not inclined to come over for a meet up anytime soon."

"Why? Did someone piss him off or something?"

"Something like that…"

I'd wanted to insist on more clarification, but I got distracted by Edward's hand, which had very stealthily reached down to tease me. And then he'd wasted no time in slipping between my legs.

That one time we weren't in a hurry; it was all about slow and languid pleasure. And it had left me so relaxed that I had drifted off into a deep sleep afterwards.

And now, in the morning, I yearned for it again… more specifically, I yearned for him.

My recollection of last night was interrupted as Angela came running into the kitchen. She was already dressed for work, whereas I was still in my pajamas, drinking coffee and lackadaisically preparing breakfast.

"Hey Bella, I gotta leave early today. That story I'm working on is still not done," she muttered, helping herself to a mug of the black brew. "Have you made anything for breakfast yet?"

She groaned in displeasure when I shook my head. But in the interest of being a good friend, I made her a quick sandwich, even though I really wasn't in the right mood for breakfast.

Thankfully, Angela was in too much of a hurry to notice.

"Oh, by the way, I got the cardboard boxes to pack my stuff. They're in the store room." She smiled in triumph as she put her coat on. "Now I just need a truck to get it all to Ben's place."

I gave her a thumbs-up as she left, closing the door behind her. That cute smile never left her face. I knew she couldn't wait to move in with Ben, even though she voiced her concern for leaving me behind from time to time. Well, at least she'd changed her mind about it after being adamant for so long that she didn't want to break our roomies tradition.

I supposed the whole Valentine bug caught up with her, since the change of mind happened this week only. It had been a pleasant surprise to me when she'd told me about her decision to move in with him.

I had been so happy to hear the news that I even promised to help her pack her stuff. And with that stupid party this weekend, I just realized that I'd be forced to do it on a weekday itself.

With a frustrated huff, I went back to my coffee and made myself a lazy ham sandwich for breakfast.

* * *

In the evening, I left for home earlier than usual, owing to the gargantuan packing job ahead for me and Angela. I knew she'd be late today as well, since her story piece wasn't completed yet, so I decided I might as well start early on my own.

When I reached home, a surprise was waiting for me, and it wasn't really a pleasant one either. Because seeing the brother of the woman with whom your ex-boyfriend had cheated on you was not even comfortable, let alone pleasant.

"Seth, what are you doing here?" Yeah, I knew him enough to be on first name basis, but I hadn't really been friends with him.

"Uh, Bella, hey…" He looked about uncomfortably as he stood waiting for me at my apartment door. "I was just… stopping by."

"So you wanted to say hi to me?" I asked, letting my acerbic tone convey that I didn't buy his shit.

He looked down and scratched his head in silence, oozing awkwardness. "I'm sorry. I didn't want to, but you know that I can't disobey orders."

Oh, so Jake had sent him here. "What were the orders? To keep an eye on me? Or just snoop around my house or something?"

He seemed taken aback by my angry tone. "No, Bella, I'd never break into to your house. That's just wrong."

"You'd do it, Seth," I countered, pushing past him as I went to unlock the door. "If _he_ orders you to do so."

He flinched at my words, but didn't argue. He simply _had_ no argument. He was a member of Jacob's pack, and every member had to follow the leader's word, no matter what. There was no free will in pack dynamics, that much I knew.

"What exactly _were_ his orders?" I asked as I stepped into the apartment. "Tell me."

Seth didn't follow me inside; he just stood outside the entrance like an abandoned puppy. "You know I can't do that, Bella."

Ah, another irritating thing about pack dynamics. There was no way a member could disclose something if the leader had refrained from sharing it with anyone outside the pack.

"Then I'd say it is better that you leave. I don't like this intrusion into my life."

He nodded, definitely of the same mind as me.

I didn't harbor any personal dislike for Seth, but the whole Leah and Jake thing was a big issue for me. Removed from all that crap, I knew he was a nice guy, but I couldn't welcome him as Jake's messenger.

"Can I ask you something?" He looked curious, as his eyes met mine for a second and then looked away.

"That depends on what you're asking about. Go on," I prompted, crossing my arms as I waited patiently.

"I saw in Jake's head that you said this guy—Edward—wasn't evil or bad, that he actually did good stuff. How or what kind of good is he doing?"

I noticed that he hadn't called Edward any of the names that the wolves reserved for vampires. Jake would've used them all by now. That's why I liked Seth. He wasn't so quick to judge; he was curious to know more.

"He gets rid of the worst kind of criminals. Murderers, rapists, you name it."

"Wow," he exclaimed, looking pleasantly surprised. "And he treats you well?"

I nodded, but didn't expound upon it.

He seemed to consider that for a while, and I totally expected him to be disgusted by the notion of me being with a vampire. But then his face brightened into a slight smile far removed from any kind of prejudice.

"Alright, I'll leave now, and stop annoying you. Take care, Bella." He gave me a little wave and began to walk away.

"You too, Seth," I called back, amazed at how differently my meeting with Seth went, as compared to Jacob.

I closed the door the rested my forehead on it, muttering all kinds of expletives toward Jacob, because he still wasn't letting up with his spying. Once I was done cursing him to hell and back, I turned around and went to freshen up.

When I came out of the bathroom, I found Edward pacing around in my room.

"Oh, you're here!" I reached him in quick strides. "What's wrong?" I asked, noting the pensive look on his face.

"Why does your front door reek of dog?" he grumbled, grasping my waist to lift me up in his arms.

"It wasn't Jake," I clarified as I wrapped my legs around him. "It was Seth."

"Now who the fuck is Seth?"

"He's from Jake's pack, but he's a nice kinda guy," I replied nervously, not wishing for Edward's anger to escalate.

"Nice kinda guy," he mimicked me. "What does that even mean?"

But he didn't wait for my answer. His lips locked over mine in a searing kiss. And then he carried me to the bed and tore off my clothes.

It wasn't until late evening that I was allowed to leave the bed. And then I felt too drained to do Angela's packing. I decided to leave it alone for tonight, but not before bitching and moaning about it to Edward. His response was a smug offer to make dinner.

I took him up on it. I wasn't a fool.

After dinner, I showed him the WWII documentaries that I had procured. He was kind of shocked that I had gone to such lengths, but he appreciated it nonetheless. He then found one that he hadn't seen before, so we decided to watch it together.

Watch it, my ass…

I dozed off in his arms before even half of it was over, and I didn't wake until the next morning. By then Edward was gone.

I was officially a moron.

And the thing that woke me up was Angela's manic squealing.

"Bella, Bella, you're like—the best friend ever! You're my star. I'll be forever in your debt, my darling! Oh God, I fucking love you!" She was screeching right in my ear, and it fucking hurt.

"Ang, what the hell?" I growled as I sat up groggily and squinted at her overexcited face.

She jumped onto the bed and grabbed hold of my hands. "Bella, I love you, baby! You've lifted such a burden off my shoulders! Thank you, thank you so so much."

"You're welcome," I muttered sleepily, then it struck me that I had no idea what she was thanking me for.

"You know, I was so worried about how I was gonna manage packing my shit this week. I kept thinking maybe it wasn't okay to move out so quickly. But you eased all my worries in just one day! When did you even get any time to do all the packing?"

"What?" Okay, it finally reached my slow morning brain that something wasn't adding up here.

"I mean, I'm amazed. Where'd you find so much energy? You went to work too, right? And then you came back and managed to pack my things so neatly in separate boxes. You're superwoman!"

"All your stuff is now packed neatly… in boxes," I said, barely able suppress my shock.

_What… The… Fuck…?_

She laughed and hopped off the bed. "But you didn't touch my underwear drawer. Was that supposed to be a joke? Because I did find it funny as hell!"

For a while, I stared at her with a blank expression. And then I broke down into hysterical laughter when I finally put two and two together.

_Oh Edward… 'Thank you' doesn't even cover it…_

* * *

**Could you guess why Edward chose these particular flowers to give Bella?  
**

**What do think about Jake's attempts at keeping tabs at Bella?**

**I'd love to hear from you guys. Your reviews brighten my life like Christmas lights. :)**

**CHAPTER NOTES:** The _Macrina Bakery_ exists in real life. Yes, you can google it.

* * *

**Next update- Let's see. It's the holiday season, so that leaves little time for writing.  
**

Special thanks to _**Emavalexis**_, my darling beta.


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